Cinders
by LoadedEel
Summary: The house was too large, too empty after they left. Lucy stays in her big lonely house because of a promise she had made to her mother before she died, to love and watch the stars in her stead. A package arrives for her 21st birthday that shakes up her routine. She sets out on an adventure to figure out what it means to be a child of the stars. (Modern AU)
1. One: Scorch

All rights to Hiro Mashima

* * *

~ **Part One: Scorch** ~

 _Verb: to destroy by or as if by fire; a superficial burn_

* * *

Empty.

It was _all_ so empty. A mansion high on a hill, white and gleaming in the afternoon sunlight. But that's as far as the warmth spread. The inside was cold and dark. No candles were lit, no lanterns or chandeliers or hanging lights giving off their customary glow.

Because it was devoid of life. _Empty._

A young woman makes her weekly rounds through those empty halls, a wooden broom trailing after her, held limp in a small, slightly callused hand. Feather duster tightly clutched in another. Eyes watchful for cobwebs and accumulated dust on gilded picture frames, beautiful decorative vases from China, and mahogany tables standing on spindly legs, that crowded the long silent halls.

Useless crap. But it was important useless crap. Especially to the woman. After all, the place had to be perfect for when he came home.

And he _would_ be coming back; she had no doubt. Then this empty house would fill with a long forgotten warmth again.

She just knows it.

And she would be the one to look after this monstrosity of a house. Would her step mother or step sisters do it?

She snorts daintily at this notion. No…they would not. They would just complain about their feet and how the house was too large and too cold and too _creepy_.

So she made a vow to herself years ago when he left and never came back, that she would take care of the place for him in his stead.

For _both_ of them, really.

That was nine years ago, but she always keeps her promises no matter what, no matter the situation. Her mother always taught her to be honourable and to trust in the human heart, while her father taught her that patience was a virtue that was slowly dying out in this day and age.

So she continued. Down the halls, entering many unused rooms, peeking her head around corners and scrutinising every floor and counter top. It had to be perfect.

Humming an unknown tune – slightly off key – she spies a sneaky web in the corner of the oil portrait of some ancient man with drooping eyes and a large red nose. Standing on tip toes, she gently brushes the offending delicate strand away.

Just because she thinks the old geezer in the portrait looks like an elephant – all wrinkly and grey – doesn't mean that she would let it get dirty. Every picture, every item in this god forsaken place was precious to her. Because it was precious to him, to them.

So she would care for it as if it was her first born child.

Reaching the end of the hallway, she comes upon her favourite spot in the whole house at her favourite time of day.

The balcony at twilight.

Flinging the French doors wide open she breathes in the early evening air deep into her lungs, savouring the scents of freshly mown grass, lilac blossoms, and clean laundry she hung out to dry just hours earlier. Why use electricity to dry those clothes if the summer breeze could do it just as well as a dryer could?

Observing the slowly setting sun, she drinks in the pale peach, vivid purples, and deep indigos of the sky and exhales slowly, committing the vision to memory. The grounds were truly beautiful this time of year, especially her mother's flower garden.

She is content for the moment, golden hair glinting slightly in the dying light, a wayward breeze curling around her playfully, shifting her locks slightly to dance a merry dance, full of joy and happiness.

The night loved her. And she loved it. Memories of her mother, a small telescope, and many, many thermoses of sweet hot chocolate sweep through her mind.

The night sky always brought back a feeling of nostalgia for her. She smiles at the stars then, silently wishing them a good morning, seeing as they had only just woken up.

It was only polite.

Spotting Vega, the brightest star in the Lyre constellation she knows it's time to start on dinner, the grumbling in her stomach reminding her of the lunch she missed. She knows no one else would make it.

Tracing the faint constellation of Draco the Dragon with her pointer finger, she utters her first words of the day.

"Good morning my friends, I hope you slept well. It's a new day for you; I trust you will enjoy yourselves."

She almost wishes that someone would answer back. But nothing does. The night, just like all the others previous, is empty.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

The young woman hums the same song again as she reaches the expansive kitchen, flicking on the overhead lights. Chrome appliances gleam from every corner. She feels like pasta tonight, thick with cream and savoury cheeses.

She reasons that it won't be too fatty if she adds mushrooms and spinach. Because the vegetables cancel out the calories of the creamier elements.

Obviously.

Nodding at her flawless logic, she fills a deep pot with water and sets it on the stove, willing her body into auto pilot. Preparing meals for herself and her family for years has now become second nature. Chopping, peeling, washing and stirring happen without a second thought now.

All too soon the meal is prepared, hot and fresh, steaming in the cooler night air coming in through the open windows.

She pops her head out of the kitchen door and takes a deep breath, steadying her feet firmly below her on the ground.

"YUKI! SORA! Dinner's ready! Get your asses in here quick, or it'll be cold!" She bellows down the hallway towards one of the only lit rooms in the house, the study. Her father's study, one of the rooms she doesn't have to clean actively because it is so well used.

Giggles and scuffling feet can be heard, coming closer and closer to the swinging door.

The blonde looks up from her plate to watch as two other young women barrel through, laughing and pushing each other playfully to get at the food first. Such is the way between her two sisters. Or rather, her two step sisters, but that distinction disappeared many years ago. She loved them dearly as real sisters should, no matter the fact that the same blood doesn't flow between them all.

"Stop pinching Sorano! Can't you see that I got here firs- AHH!" Yukino, the gentler of the two, the more soft-spoken, yelps as her elder sister pinches her ass just to spite her, it seems.

"Oh give it up, you crybaby! I'm older. Therefore I should go first. Isn't that right Lucy?" Fork half way to her mouth the blonde freezes, as if she is made of ice. "Uhhh…donot drag me into this Sora. I don't need this crap right now; I'm too tired."

Forgetting her earlier fight for the food Sorano turns towards Lucy and leans against the large island in the middle of the spacious kitchen and Yukino dives into the opening Sorano unknowingly created, her bid for first dibs on the food granted. "Why are you so tired today? Do anything interesting? Is there a boy stashed in your closet upstairs that I need to look for?" Sorano wiggles her eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

Snorting oh so delicately, Lucy waves her hands in front of her face and points the tines of her fork at her sister in a slightly aggressive manner. "Oh no. Not that again. Sora…where am I going to meet a man? All I do is study and write, then cook and clean. There isn't time." She looks down a bit glum at her meal again, pouting. "And it's Saturday today. That's why I'm so tired.

"Oh right! Cleaning day, I forgot. Don't worry your head too much girly…men are stupid, boorish creatures. That only want sex and food. Speaking of food…" Sorano turns back to the pasta in the pot again, scooping some into a bowl and moving on to the drawer that holds the utensils.

"Oh Gods Lu, this is orgasmic! I think you all need to leave me alone with these noodles until further notice." Yukino groans around yet another mouthful of heaven.

Laughing at Yukino, Sorano spears a mushroom with her fork and eats it with a delicate grace. This lasts all of two seconds before she shovels the meal into her mouth with wild abandon, just like her sister. "I take it back. You were right Yuki. This is the best damn pasta I've ever had."

"You know, it's not that hard to please you two. It's a simple recipe; it helps to have the fresh herbs from Momma's garden." Lucy jumps off her stool to grab another heaping plate, reasoning that the first plate was her missed lunch and now she's eating dinner.

"I'm so glad at least one of us can make food. You know that we are completely useless in the kitchen Sora." Yukino says with barely hidden praise colouring her voice for Lucy's cooking skills.

"Yah, I know you suck at making food Yuki. That's why I banned you from preparing anything after that 'Garlic Chicken' incident. You almost killed your mother with that meat." Chuckling at her poor, poor sister Lucy finishes off her second plate.

"Well, I'm stuffed, ladies. Help yourself for the rest eh? If there are any left overs, you mind putting it away for your mother when she comes home tomorrow from her trip? She might be hungry after that long plane ride. And don't worry about all the dishes, I'll wash them tomorrow morning after my run."

Lucy didn't catch the look shared between the two silver-haired beauties. They know that Lucy works so hard, so they'll do those few dishes for her. Just like they always do. "Okay, it's not a problem Lucy. Let us deal with it. Just get a good rest eh?" Lucy nods and slowly ambles around past the fridge and stove.

Dragging herself out the door towards the grand staircase, she blows a quick kiss to the portrait of her mother and father and makes her way up to the attic.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

The attic, while being on the third floor, was redone when Lucy's late mother started to express her concerns about how it was getting too cold outside during the dead of winter for both her and little Lucy to stargaze comfortably. The blonde's father, Jude, renovated the roof over the 'attic' completely replacing the roofing tiles with large panes of glass, turning the storage room into a working observatory. After her mother passed, Lucy moved into the room to be closer to her, the memories were thick in that room, tangible to the point of almost being alive.

She knew that her mother was now among the stars. Up there looking down on her small blonde daughter, hopefully, proud of everything that she was doing.

Glancing up at her expansive sun roof, Lucy smiles as she spots Pisces and Cygnus, remember her mother's voice as she was told the legends behind each constellation. She never knew why her Mother insisted that each constellation and all the stars that made them up were important. Terribly important.

But if they were important enough to her Momma, who was she to argue? They were now important to Lucy as well.

 _Lucy, darling, these stars and constellations I'm teaching you about are not just dots in the sky. They are living beings, breathing and feeling and playing just like you or I. We are children of the night time sky, both of us, and therefore we are the guardians of these stars and their stories. We must keep them safe, for they are the gates into other realms. Heaven and hell, other worlds that we know nothing of, places made from our wildest dreams. Promise me Lucy, promise me you will forever remember everything that I tell you about them and continue to expand your knowledge of the night sky after I am gone? Promise me you will always love the stars. Promise me little star…_

She was young. Oh, so young, and didn't really know what her mother meant at the time. So she promised her mother that she would remember and protect and love them just as she had.

A year later her mother was gone from this world, but every lesson that she was taught was engraved in Lucy's mind as if scorched there by fire.

To this day Lucy keeps her promises to her Momma she made when we was six years old. But she still doesn't know what her mother meant, her voice sounded so serious then, such a sharp contrast to the tone that she usually used, so Lucy couldn't help but keep that speech at the forefront of her mind.

It was important. So she learned all she could, she kept the stars company on her more lonely nights, and she loved them all, each and every sparkling light.

And the stars watched her in return; they witnessed her grow up into a beautiful woman, they saw her change and learn and keep her promises that she made to her mother that summer night. One much like todays. They were the only witnesses to the pack that Lucy made with her Momma.

The stars loved her as well. Lucy was sure of that because her mother was up there. So, anywhere her mother was, she was loved.

With that in mind, Lucy sat at her writing desk, flipping her laptop open she shot off a quick 'letter' to her mother. Hundreds upon hundreds of them were currently stored on an online backup service, just in case she ever lost all her work. Her novel she started, one about all the stories and legends that her mother told her about the stars, just so that she could keep them straight inside her head, was also on her computer. It was open to the page where she started writing about Leo the Lion, strongest and most loyal of all the zodiac. He would have a stately mane that flickered orange like a live flame and piercing jade green eyes that seemed to see into your soul. He would be as big as a house, with a roar like thunder at the heart of a storm.

Smiling to herself, Lucy quickly logged on to the website dedicated to Magnolia University. She was studying both astronomy and creative writing at the same time, Lucy's plate was indeed full. Not to mention the fact that she was taking both of them online because she just didn't like leaving her big, old, _empty_ house. But it was all to keep her promise, to further learn and document those stars that she held so dear to her heart.

As had become customary in her night time ritual, she also logged on to a chat room connected to the University. The staff had reasoned that if there was a place for students to talk together, homework and assignments would become easier.

It was a wholesome idea that started with good intentions but veered off slightly in recent years. Students who once talked about education together now only used this service to hook up anonymously with others as names are not required to use the chat function, only a username. But Lucy used it to talk to her _friends_.

A few months ago, Lucy was looking on an obscure website she needed for a project in her dead languages class and a few rogue clicks later she had stumbled upon – quite by accident of course – the chat room. So on a whim, which was unlike her in many ways, she created a profile and signed up using the username _ChildoftheStars_ in homage to her mother.

Since that day, checking the chat room for specific usernames has become a routine for Lucy. There were only two people that she talked with almost on a daily basis. One, a young woman around the same age as Lucy named Levy McGarden. They exchanged real names almost instantly and just…clicked on some level that neither of them questioned. Outside her sisters, Levy was the only other woman that she talked to on a regular basis. What caught Lucy's attention first about Levy was her username. Being in the middle of the Latin portion of her dead languages class she took an immediate liking to the name that Levy chose: _SolidumVerbum_.

They talked back and forth for a single night about the finer points of languages – Levy being the more knowledgeable of the two – and learned that they did indeed have many things in common with each other, including their love of all things literature. So being the courageous woman she was, Lucy told Levy her full name in a burst of new found confidence and Levy gave hers in return. A beautiful friendship was born that spring night in early April.

Checking the status of Levy's icon, Lucy was disappointed to see that her bibliophile friend was offline at the moment. Slightly sad, the blonde checked the status of her other friend who used the username _FireSalamander_. In contrast to Levy, he had sought Lucy out to chat one day, completely out of the blue. Being the lonely woman she is, Lucy answered the simple question of "Do you like dragons?" With a firm and definitive "Yes. I do. My favourite is Draco the Dragon." And their friendship was all but written in stone. A peculiar way to start a conversation, but what in life always goes to plan?

She didn't know the actual name or what this friend looked like, but she knew without a doubt that she considered her to be her closest, most trusted friend, even though he was still a mysterious figure, hiding behind the anonymity that one can find online. She understood, though, because the real names of things have an almost…power to them. If she knew what his name was, the illusion would be shattered. It was seductive and dark to Lucy, to not give up her name to this stranger, so she followed suit and kept her identity to herself.

Lucy shared more with him – she was ninety-eight percent sure that it was indeed a man – than she had ever shared with anyone in her entire life, including both her sisters. But in this, they were both the same. _FireSalamander_ shared many profound things about himself, about his father leaving him at a young age, about him being alone his whole life, about his blue cat named Happy, nothing was off limits to them. It was quid pro quo at its finest, for every secret Lucy divulged, he returned in kind.

But to her ever maddening surprise, _FireSalamander_ wasn't on either, which was slightly strange for this time of night.

So she shrugged and quickly glanced at the clock, balking a bit at the late hour. Lucy rushed through her nightly routine, brushing teeth and hair, picking out a cute outfit for tomorrow. She was visiting her mother's grave after all.

As she laid down on her queen sized bed, Lucy gazed lovingly up at her friends. She traced Ophiuchus with a single finger and smiled.

Eyes growing heavy, she turned over on her right side and blew out a slow breath. "Good night my stars, may you shine bright tonight just as you did yesterday. Please watch over me as I sleep. I love you, Momma, I love you, Papa."

As Lucy fell asleep, she thought she could hear a small voice answer back.

 _Goodnight, star child, we are always watching._

But she knew that it was just the imagination of a lonely girl, full of emotion because the stars can't talk. So the night must be like every other night before it.

Empty.


	2. One: Embers

All rights to Hiro Mashima

* * *

~ **Part One: Embers** ~

 _Noun: a small live piece of coal, wood, or another fuel source, also known as a dying fire_

* * *

On the eve of her twenty-first birthday, Lucy found herself again on a long trek through the never ending lifeless halls, feather duster and broom in hand. It was a Saturday after all.

Cleaning day.

The eyes of the portraits of her long dead ancestors followed her everywhere. Up and down she crept, treading carefully on the marble floors, the oriental rugs under her feet muffling her steps. Almost in reverence of the old, cold, dead house, Lucy tried to make as little noise as possible.

She didn't want to wake up any demons.

Standing on the balcony, just like every Saturday this past summer, she breathed in deeply picking out specific scents as she went.

Grass.

Lilacs from Momma's garden.

Detergent from the washing.

Then she paused, eyes opening in confusion because there was a new smell in the mix tonight that she couldn't quite place.

A cross between the smell of rain as it hits stone and the darkness from the night that was slowly creeping up on her. And something else…something…familiar. Something that smelled more amazing and homely than this huge house ever could. It smelled like the night was excited.

It reminded her of her mother in a way, as her mother was home to her. So in a sense, because her mother was with the stars, the night sky was now her home as well.

She would join her mother one day, of that she had no doubt. But for now, she was mostly content with her documentation and school and her sister's.

And waiting for him. Hopefully, it wouldn't take too much longer.

Lately, she had a strange…itch…that she couldn't scratch. One that she hadn't had since she was a young child running and playing and exploring.

She was ready for an adventure.

So like every other Saturday at twilight, she greeted her stars bidding them a good morning. She hoped that they would watch over her still, just as she would guard them jealously.

Like a dragon guards its horde of gold and silver and gems.

Oh Gods. She was starting to sound like _FireSalamander_.

Giggling loudly in the night air at that thought, Lucy closed the doors of the balcony and rushed down through her routine to get dinner ready for herself tonight as Yukino and Sorano were out on the town, and her step-mother didn't need to eat three square meals a day, opting for a _wetter_ diet.

Only dry martinis for that Madame.

Once when Lucy asked her how she could live off of only booze, her step-mother just stuck a toothpick with a cocktail onion and an olive in said martini…for the vitamins and gave Lucy a sharp look that stopped all other conversations on the topic.

Tonight's chicken and garden salad was fresh and light, perfect for an end of a long day and not too heavy to give her weird dreams. Seeing as there was no leftovers and the minimal dishes were cleaned and the counters tidy, Lucy deemed it time to make her way back to her room.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

 _FireSalamander_ : Do you believe in magic?

Now, this was a typical way to start a conversation with her mysterious best friend. He asked her anything and everything. He had no filter at all and no topics, save his real name, were truly off limits.

She remembered a conversation a few weeks back about the correct size of dragons and another one about whether or not animals could understand everything that humans said to them, but just lacked the means to answer us back properly.

So the belief in magic? Not that extraordinary a topic. So Lucy decided to answer as truthfully as possible. He deserved the truth at least.

 _ChildoftheStars_ : I believe in it. To an extent. I believe that everything has a certain magic to it. A person's smile has magic that lights up a room. That one kiss that makes you tingle is magic. The night sky in all its glory holds magic. And I believe that all people hold magic within them, it just needs an outlet…a way to come out and be seen by others.

 _FireSalamander_ : I can see that. I know that magic is real. I can see it all around us. I can feel it everywhere.

Lucy could see what he meant. Magic…was a tricky concept to her. But she didn't know why. She wanted to believe in it wholeheartedly with all the wonder of a small child on Christmas morning. But she was twenty-one in thirty minutes, she was growing up, and she was beginning to give up hope about certain things.

One was the return of her father. She was sure he was coming back. But every day he was gone it was getting harder for Lucy to believe the fact that he would return completely unharmed.

There was also the belief that her life should hold more than just this…researching and school, cooking and cleaning. There was something on the horizon for her, something just out of reach. But it seemed to be getting farther and farther away every day.

Deep down in her bones, she could feel it. Something exciting and amazing and terrifying. It was creeping up on her like a shadow, looming over her. But at the same time too far away to be seen clearly.

Soon. She hoped. So she asked her friend.

 _ChildoftheStars_ : Do you ever feel like your life is missing…something? Like it's not complete? Like part of your very existence has been cut off?

She had to wait a whole five minutes for his answer. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully; the typing icon had been flashing the whole time she had been waiting eagerly for his reply.

But it was a little disappointing.

 _FireSalamander_ : Yes. Everyday.

While she believed that his was the truth – she hoped – Lucy knew that this wasn't the whole truth. But she couldn't fault him that. Some things are had to talk about. So she prodded.

 _ChildoftheStars_ : Like what?

Now his answer came even slower this time. Lucy decided to type up a little more about the stories about Leo her mother told her when she was small. Half way into describing the personified Leo would be a man but would keep his mane of glowing fur, cat ears, and twitching tail…she heard the 'ding' that signalled that she had a message.

 _FireSalamander:_ For years now. I have felt like there was half of my life missing. Like half of my being was scraped away before I could remember and the nerves are still raw. It's hard to describe.

Lucy the realised that he was telling her the truth before. It was just hard to put into words. So she mentally apologised to her friend for thinking he would be holding something back from her.

But what struck her was the similarities between his situation and hers. He seemed to describe how she felt ever since her father disappeared accurately.

No before that. Since her mother passed away.

Had it really been that long? Almost _fifteen years_ she had been missing…something.

 _FireSalamander_ : Why the inquisitive nature today? Does it have anything to do with your birthday in nine minutes?

 _ChildoftheStars_ : Maybe. I don't know. I feel like something is going to happen soon. But I couldn't tell you what it was, or when it will occur. It's like I'm a ship at sea at night and the horizon is blurred and foggy. I can feel that something is there but being able to navigate is complicated and confusing.

 _FireSalamander_ : So use the stars to navigate your way. You said they would always be there for you. Trust in them.

His answer floored her. Of course. It made perfect sense.

The stars. Her trusted friends. They had never steered her wrong yet.

So Lucy decided to believe in the stars once again. Whatever happened, they would be there for her.

Smiling, she looked up at Cygnus and Pisces. "Thank you, my stars, please. I need your guidance more than ever. Watch over me tonight."

 _ChildoftheStars_ : Do you like adventures?

 _FireSalamander_ : More than anything in the whole world. I can't wait for the next one.

His simple reply had her snorting in amusement. She glanced at her clock on her bedside table she saw it read two minutes after midnight. "Happy Birthday to me…" she sang into her empty room.

 _FireSalamander_ : Happy birthday. Enjoy your day tomorrow; I have a feeling it will be a good one.

She didn't know why. But she could only agree with him. Saying goodnight and logging out of the chat room, she rubbed her arms. The air was getting cooler the later she was staying up. Deciding to light the fireplace in the corner of her room, Lucy placed wood and tinder in a teepee fashion and waited until there was a merry fire crackling away. It was time for her to get ready for bed.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

Showered, teeth brushed, Lucy sat in front of the now dying flames braiding her hair down her back ending in a shower of gold near her tailbone. She loved her hair. It was the same shade as her mother's. Just another thing that reminded her of happier, livelier times. Lucy refused to cut it off. It was too precious.

She sat in one wing back chair and just stared up at the stars, listening to the silence of the night.

"Goodnight my friends. Enjoy your day; I hope you have fun. Goodnight Momma. Good night Papa. I love you both so much."

The still air felt stifling, so she made her way towards her bed, taking a glance at her dark blue comforter.

Something about what she was seeing wasn't right.

Oh, it was the package sitting on her bed. An early birthday present? Lucy gingerly picked up the innocuous parcel examining the standard brown packing paper and the bold block letters of her name and address printed on the front.

That was it. There was no return address, no name, and no identifying marks.

Shrugging the blonde assumed that one of her sister's brought it into her room for her before they left for the night.

Excitement and adrenaline coursed through Lucy's system. Her eyes sparkled at the thought of the present. It had been so long since she genuinely had looked forward to something other than her nightly talking sessions with her online friends and the odd conversation with her sisters.

Ripping off the paper like a silly child, Lucy was left with a small wooden box. Mahogany that was lacquered within an inch of its life. Gold plated metal sat on each corner in a swirling pattern.

Overall it was a beautiful box. It looked well taken care of and seemed to promise an undiscovered treasure within.

Hinges opening smoothly, Lucy eyed the contents of said treasure chest. When the lid opened all the way, she gasped.

A strange feeling swept over her at that moment, as if a river came through her room tumbling and swirling over and around her.

It was electric; the very air seemed to crackle and sparkle, lighting up from within.

Then as fast as it came, it was gone.

"What in the hell was that?" An empty question for an even emptier room.

Lucy could now focus on the contents of the box. Six beautifully crafted keys sat on a deep emerald satin cushion. Three were gold, three were silver, and all had symbols at the very top.

Moving closer to the dying fire, Lucy dropped to her knees on the rug and checked each key individually. She recognised them all. Cancer, Aquarius, Taurus, Horologium, Crux, and Pyxis.

She reached for one with a slightly shaking hand, Cancer, the light of the embers in the grate reflecting off the polished surface. Lucy gently lifted the key from its place.

A feeling of deep peace and contentment washed through her. And joy. So much joy she could hardly stand it. The emotions she was feeling weren't her own, though. They seemed to be coming from the key in her hand. Her earlier conversation immediately came to mind.

 _Do you believe in magic?_

At this moment, alone in her room with only the night as company, Lucy could honestly say that she believed completely in magic. This was a turning point in her life.

She could feel it.

Her twenty-first birthday was shaping up to be very exciting. A brilliant smile split her face. This was the start of a crazy adventure.


	3. One: Smoke

All rights to Hiro Mashima

* * *

~ **Part One: Smoke** ~

 _Noun: the visible vapour and gases are given off by a burning or smouldering substance_

* * *

Without wasting a second, Lucy took out her phone and snapped a picture of Cancer's key that was still clutched tightly in her hand. She was so excited about this birthday present, so incredibly excited that she couldn't wait to show it off to her two friends.

Quickly logging on to the chat room, she sent private messages to both Levy and _FireSalamander_ happily crowing about this being one of the best birthdays she's had since her mother died.

That something that was just out of reach, that…adventure that she had been longing for, seemed to be creeping up on her faster than she expected.

Feeling utterly exhausted in the wake of her joy, Lucy fell into her bed plugging in her phone and placing in on her bedside table.

Almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, the blonde fell into a deep sleep filled with the feeling of her mother's warmth and a small smile on her lips.

 _You've found us. Please, protect us… Star Child._

* * *

 ** _-ooo-_**

* * *

Waking up close to ten the next morning to a deafening repeated 'dinging' noise, Lucy grumbled and rolled over onto her stomach, willing the sound to die off into oblivion and stuffed a feather pillow over her head.

But her half-hearted wish was not granted. Sighing, she oozed out of her sheets towards her stupidly loud laptop, shooting the offending electronic a withering glare. "Couldn't let me sleep in, could yah?"

As she quickly glanced over the reason for her awakening, her earlier annoyance disappeared like smoke on the wind.

 _FireSalamander_ : I have a present for you. It's waiting at the bus station on Fifth Ave in Magnolia. Locker seventy-seven. All you need is to show my username to an employee, and they will give you the key. Enjoy your day, won't you? Be safe, I know you don't leave that house of yours often.

How curious. And exciting. It's been months since she had gone into town. Mentally calculating how long it would take for a round trip to Magnolia as well as visit her mother's grave before setting off.

Nodding to herself, it was entirely doable. Adrenaline, dark and deep coursed through her. It was like a treasure hunt… albeit a small one at that, but no less exhilarating. It was sweet that her friend had got her something. A new feeling of something akin to adoration swept through Lucy's heart.

Not once did she question why someone she had never met would want to get her a present for her birthday. This was a trusted friend, and she believed his written word.

Remembering the way she woke up, Lucy realised that the single message from _FireSalamander_ wouldn't have accounted for the many unholy sounds from earlier.

Scowling slightly, she clicked around until she found the page with the private message she sent to Levy last night with the picture of Cancer's key. No wonder she was awoken, Levy seemed more excited about the keys than her if her messages were anything to go by.

 _SolidumVerbum_ : Wow Lu! It looks amazing!

 _SolidumVerbum_ : Where did you get it?

 _SolidumVerbum_ : What is it made of? It looks like it has gold plating?

 _SolidumVerbum_ : Is that Cancer's symbol at the top?

 _SolidumVerbum_ : Did you only get one? Are there others?

 _SolidumVerbum_ : Do you know if it opens anything?

Shooting off answers to her inquisitive friend about her mysterious keys, Lucy stared for a moment at the last question that Levy had asked her.

 _Do you know if it opens anything?_

Now that was a good question. These were keys, so it was reasonable to assume that they should open something. Unless they were purely decorative.

And even then she wouldn't love them any less because they at least represented her beloved stars.

However, after last nights…magical episode…she was hoping that these keys actually did do _something_. Opened some lock somewhere, held some sort of power maybe.

She was a touch reluctant to call what she witnessed in the dead of the night magic. Her brain reasoned she could have just been over tired and left a window open, but her heart was completely set on bluntly stating it was magic. And nothing could sway it.

Over time, she would listen to her heart. Her mother taught her to believe in the human heart, because it held the truth of a person, whether or not their body language or eyes told a different story. Only through actions and time could a person's true being be exposed. Only some select individuals lived with their heart on their sleeves. And those people should be protected and cherished for they were unique treasures in a world rife deceit and lies.

So if she could believe in the hearts of others, why couldn't she believe in her own?

Logging off for the time being, Lucy ripped open her closest and enthusiastically dived into its hidden depths. Plucking a dark blue scoop neck top and a long flowing white skirt off their respective hangers, she sped into the bathroom. Changing quickly, Lucy swiped mascara and a touch of blush on her face as if her life depended on her speed. She hooked a small star necklace of her mother's around her neck and stabbed the matching earrings through their holes in her ears.

Eyes sweeping over her form in the mirror, she was satisfied at the visage of herself. Grabbing her purse, she stuffed her wallet, phone, gum, pepper spray, and her house keys inside.

Lucy was ready. So she smiled and sprinted down the stairs of her empty house, feeling more alive than she had in years.

She ran to the garden to visit her mother's grave first. But after that, she had a train to catch.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

Stepping onto the platform an hour and a half later, Lucy breathed in the scents of the city around her. Car exhaust, deep fry oil, and the fresh smell of flowers assaulted her from all sides.

Magnolia. Home to so many sounds and sights, more than she could ever take in at one time, so with a giddy sense of happiness she stuck her hand out and hailed a cab down.

"I need to go to the bus station on Fifth Avenue please!" Lucy chirped happily as she slid into a seat in the back of the yellow car. The driver smiled at her and chuckled slightly at her countenance. It wasn't often that he got to see such a happy, beautiful woman in his cab.

"Of course young miss. We should be there within twenty minutes. My name is Curtis ma'am." The aforementioned man smiled into the review mirror at Lucy, so she smiled right back. "Please call me Lucy." He seemed nice and not too murdery… so Lucy reasoned she could give him her first name. To pass the time, they exchanged stories and playful banter. She eventually told Curtis that it was her birthday and she was on her way to receive a mysterious present.

When they arrived at her destination, Lucy pulled out the necessary currency with a hefty tip for Curtis and attempted to hand it to him through the window. But he just waved her hand away claiming that he was getting on in his years and that she was a delight to talk to. "Miss Lucy, consider it a birthday present. Thank you for your company today. It really elevated my mood."

Gushing thanks to her unlikely new friend, Lucy waved goodbye and strode into the bus station. She stepped into the line and pulled out her phone to ward off the tedium.

A dark haired woman greeted her with a peppy smile and kind eyes, so Lucy replied in turn, the startings of a grin lifting up the sides of her mouth. "Good afternoon. I need to pick up a key for your mailboxes over there. My friend, Fire Salamander, said he rented box seventy-seven for me."

The employee, named Bree according to her name tag, gave a small, secretive smile towards the blonde in front of her as well as a big wink. "Of course, here's the key. Have a nice day." And with yet another grin, Lucy grabbed the key off the counter and found the correct mailbox.

What would be inside? What did he get her? The suspense was almost too much for her poor heart, so she unlocked the right box and glanced inside.

Another small package wrapped in brown paper. She seemed to be collecting those today.

Lucy locked up and returned the key gliding through the motions in a sort of daydream, swept up in the images and thoughts and ideas in her mind.

What did _FireSalamander_ get her?

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"A café latte and a cranberry scone please." Lucy ordered a small snack for herself as she sat at one of the tables inside a small coffee shop. Nodding, her waitress replied that it wouldn't take long for her order.

"Now, little package, reveal your secrets to me." She didn't really care that she was talking to a box out loud. She's done weirder things in her life.

Without preamble, Lucy tore off the paper to reveal two equal sized black velvet boxes.

Was it Jewellery maybe? A necklace? She shook her head. There was no use speculating when she could just open them. The waitress interrupted then with her drink and food.

Lucy took a small sip of her latte and sighed when the warmth hit her stomach, it was a bit chilly sitting in the shade of the gigantic oak trees that draped over the patio. The scone also seemed to hit the spot.

Invigorated, she opened the top box slowly.

The first thing she saw was a note typed up and printed on thick card stock.

 _To keep them safe._

And that was it.

She shrugged at the mysterious nature of this intriguing man, and then she finally glimpsed the actual present.

It was a large ring made of a shiny solid metal with swirling black patterns etched into its surface. It had a clip that allowed it to open and close with ease.

Suddenly, she couldn't wait to see what was in the second velvet case. Opening it, she found another note, but this one was a little bit longer and revealed just a little bit more of her unknown friend.

 _Another friend for you. I have faith that you will love this one as well. Keep him close._

 _~ N._

Her confusion over the single letter at the bottom of the note was pushed to the back of her mind as she spied the contents of the second box.

A silver key. It was crafted in the same style as the others she had received last night and felt heavy and _safe_ in her palm. Lucy immediately recognised the symbol.

Canis Minor. The little dog.

A crazy wild grin stole over her face, and happy tears started to drip down her face. What a beautiful present, she was thoroughly impressed with her friend's ability to make her smile and cry at the same time without even being present to witness it.

The ring made sense now. It was a key ring, so she slipped Canis Minor onto it and safely stored the packages and her new presents inside her purse.

As she read the notes again, she realised that 'N' was right. She did love her new friend. He knew her so well.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

The train ride back was tiring, but necessary. It gave Lucy time to think about all that had happened over the course of her day. So many new things, everything so out of the ordinary. She couldn't wait to see what was around the corner.

She dropped her purse on her bed and made her way over to her desk where she had left the mahogany box, filled with her other keys, last night before she dropped off to sleep.

Lucy hooked all of the keys she now owned onto her new key ring and watched them glint in the evening light. Three gold, radiating power and a strange…possessiveness? Shaking her head she glowed with the fact that she had four silver. Her collection was growing.

She made a silent vow to collect all the keys that she could. She felt that they should all be together in one place where she could watch over them.

A knock on her door cleared her mind off her thoughts, ripping her out of the trance she had been in.

She could hear Yukino yell from behind the door. "Lucy! Come on, Sora has dinner ready! She even has a cake for you. Get your ass in gear girl!"

Lucy grimaced, remembering the many other instances where it was clear that her sisters were not talented in the kitchen. This would not be fun, thank the gods she had stocked up on antacids.

"Coming Yuki. Give me one moment, I'll meet you downstairs."

She spun around to quickly private message _FireSalamander_ and set down her keys on her desk beside her laptop.

 _ChildoftheStars_ : N - Thank you for the wonderful present. You were right. I loved it right away. It was perfect. You know me so well.

After Lucy had run downstairs to attempt to eat the freshly made Thai food and chocolate cake that her sister had lovingly tried to make into something edible, a message came in that she wouldn't see until weeks later.

 _FireSalamnder_ : Anything for you.


	4. One: Blaze

All rights to Hiro Mashima

* * *

~ **Part One: Blaze** ~

 _Noun: a sudden, intense outburst, as of fire, passion, or fury_

* * *

Many miles from that cold, empty mansion sits a rather…strange man. Strong, well built, sharp jaw, straight nose, in all rights a very handsome man. Even his hair, which is an unusual shade of pink, enhances his looks. He is one part adorable and two parts sexy. But it's his other part that makes strangers wary at first glance.

It's his eyes that give most people pause.

The most brilliant onyx you've ever seen, always bright and shining with a childlike exuberance. But it's what's inside them that puts most ordinary people on edge. Those pools of ebony housed a wildfire, burning and blazing since the day he was born.

Well, reborn if you want to get technical, as a child of the dragons those long years ago. Mighty and noble, always trustworthy, and loyal to a fault. The best friend a person could ever have in this life or the next. And so he would be if those normal humans gave him a chance.

But it's hard for them, because of those eyes.

They cut through the shit of the world, seeking out the truth and ripping out your deepest, darkest demons. They can see into your heart, into your truest form.

But most ordinary people don't want a complete stranger to be able to see their proverbial skeletons in a single glance. Most like to have some mystery involved in their lives and the lives of those around them.

This man didn't need regular friends, though. He had plenty, with extra to spare. He had a family, the largest around, so he was happy.

For the most part at least. It was a lie that he could keep up with because it was all he knew. He also knew that he was missing…something. But it wasn't specific enough that he could just go and seek it out for himself.

So now, the man sits in front of a glowing computer screen, eyes the size of saucers, the blue cat curled up on his lap, wondering what in the gods' names possessed him to send that last message to his friend.

 _Anything for you._

He wracked his brains trying to figure out why he would do such a thing to himself. Why would he let her know – he was almost positive it was a woman – that he would do just about anything in the world for her. For Mavis' sake, he bought her an expensive birthday gift for her, knowing that she would love it with her whole being. After seeing the picture that she sent online to him, he had rushed out to a shop that he knew the owner of, and bartered for that small silver key that he found.

He wished he would have seen her reaction to the gifts. He hoped that she would have at least hugged him in thanks. He could only dream of that, wishing that it would become a reality.

It was complete and utter nonsense. He didn't even know her name, and she only knew the first letter of his.

N.

That was all he gave her. One, because the mystery was intriguing, and two…he was slightly shy with her, he didn't want to push her away, didn't want her to become afraid, like other people before her.

Both good reasons, albeit slightly stupid reasons. He can't help sometimes wishing that he knew what her name was. What she looked like, if her hair was long or short, if she had any tattoos. He wanted to know her. All of her.

Because, like an idiot, he was completely attached to this anonymous woman. Utterly enthralled. She was smart, witty, and quick with a sassy comeback. He was totally attracted to this woman's brain, and her heart. And her soul. It didn't matter what she looked like really, but it would be nice to fill in the picture in his brain.

And she liked dragons, and adventures it seemed. All good things. Marvellously wonderful things.

So he hoped to everything that was holy that he hadn't scared her off quite yet with that utterly stupid message. He didn't want to lose his best friend.

A loud 'ding' sounded from the open laptop on the desk in front of him. Scrambling to figure out just which tab was making the noise was a bit of an effort. Finally finding the correct one, he blew out an enormous sigh that ruffled the fringes of his bangs that hung over his eyes. Maybe he should get a haircut soon.

It wasn't from _ChildoftheStars_. He was both disappointed that he wouldn't find out her response right away, and also a smidge thankful because he was a touch terrified about what that response would be if it ever came that is.

At that moment is was scared. Scared that he would never talk to her again about everything and anything and have silly arguments about the dumbest things. Lately, these conversations with his mystery friend were the only things keeping him sane.

Well, more sane than usual. Because he was a little crazy, they all were. His family was absolutely bat shit crazy. And he loved them. He would follow most of them straight to hell if need be.

But she made him feel grounded, alive, and as normal as a pink haired idiot could be.

Slightly scowling at his screen now, he realised that the message was from one of those people he would not be following into hell. Because this asshole would probably find a way to pick a fight with him about something stupid on the way down.

 _IceKing_ : Yo! Flame turd! Are you coming to Fairy Tail tomorrow night?

Rolling his eyes, he typed a quick message in response wishing he could put his hand through his computer and yank the stupid snow princess out into his bedroom and beat him senseless.

 _FireSalamander_ : Of course you stupid stripper. Who do you take me for? And put your clothes back on. Idiot.

 _IceKing_ : Dammit. How does everyone know when it happens?

 _FireSalamander_ : Stripping radar. I bet you anything you'll get a message from Titania any minute now.

 _IceKing_ : Whatever. See you tomorrow.

 _IceKing_ : Gods, I hate your guts Natsu.

Snarling at the screen, Natsu slammed his fist onto the desk beside him making Happy and the pencils sitting beside his laptop jump. Ingenious expletives about his rival spewing out into the still evening air, he vowed to decimate that exhibitionist the next time they met.

That perverted popsicle could get under his skin. He rolled his eyes at his hissing cat, closing his computer and flopping back onto his bed. He wasn't tired, but he had a lot to think about.

He wanted to meet this woman that had his stomach in knots and heart in a vice grip so intense it hurt. In a great way of course.

He had never even _met_ the woman, nor heard her voice, or seen a picture, but he knew deep, deep down that she was something special. Something…new.

When he had bought that key for her, he could feel the power radiate from it. Nothing too extreme, just a slight flicker. He hoped that these keys were nothing dangerous. He didn't sense anything malicious from it, just a slight warmth and happiness, as if it knew where it was going and it was over joyed to make the journey.

'Canis Minor' the shop keeper had stated, named after a constellation in the night time sky. Maybe, if he ever met _ChildoftheStars_ , she would teach him all about those twinkling lights in the heavens.

He could only hope.

Eventually, he drifted off into a heavy sleep listening to Happy purr, and he dreamed of warmth and fire and small dogs.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"Well, that wasn't too terrible. I guess." Rubbing her slightly aching stomach Lucy deemed it to be a bath night and filled the tub with steaming water and dropped her clothes onto the floor.

The dinner went better than expected. It seemed that Sora and Yuki weren't as hopeless making food as she once thought and it had been a delight not to have to make dinner for once. After she had explained to her sister's about the new keys she had received, they had demanded to see them at once.

So after rushing up and down three flights of stairs, she showed her new presents off to the silver haired beauties, who sat dumbfounded in front of her.

Lucy could only assume that they had deduced that they were quite expensive and were shocked into silence. They both quickly shook off their trances and exclaimed whole heartedly over how beautiful and unique her present was. They seemed a little too excited, but Lucy over looked it, reasoning that they were just happy or over tired or something of that nature.

So here she sat, up to her chin in scalding water, thinking about that beautiful key ring and her new keys that represented her friends.

 _FireSalamander_ really did know her. She couldn't think of a better birthday gift from her closest non-star friend. And now she knew a something about him.

 _~N_

How could one letter of the alphabet be so exciting? Was it the first letter of his last name? His first? Maybe even a nickname of sorts?

Lucy reasons that she could just ask him, but with a shake of her blonde head quickly dismisses the notion. If he wanted her to know it, he would have said it. And she did want to know, but wouldn't push it. This friendship was built on mutual trust and a love of dragons, apparently. She wouldn't have it any other way.

It was all just so thrilling really. An anonymous man, mystery gifts, and something looming just out of sight, whether friendly or not it didn't matter.

Lucy had been in this empty house too long. It was time to shake up the monotony and move forward. She would still take care of the house and her sisters and her stars, but she would make more time to be with an actual living breathing human being, out there in the real world.

Draining the tub, she wrapped herself in a towel and dried off, slipping on a long silk robe when she was done. She knew what she wanted to do. She wanted to meet Levy in person. As soon as possible. It was time to take that next step.

But only with Levy. Don't get her wrong; Lucy would love to meet and talk to FireSalamander in person, to see his face and hear his voice…but somehow she knew it just wasn't the time.

Yet.

Lucy skipped over to her desk with determination and excitement running though her bones but stopped when she saw the box that had housed her first present. Lucy thought she had put that away this morning, but in all the confusion of going into town, she probably forgot.

No matter really, she just had to find the perfect spot on her shelves for it. Somewhere prominent, because it truly was a work of art almost as beautiful as the keys that it had held.

She glanced down at the box in her hands just in time to see a piece of folded paper slowly drift down to the floor of her bedroom.

Ever the curious one, she quickly found a spot for her box. She picked up the note and unfolded it.

Immediately she recognised the handwriting, grated it had been a while since she had seen it, but she would know it anywhere.

"Momma…" Suddenly, Lucy was six years old again, listening to the stories of the stars from her beloved mother, wrapped up in a large blanket under the night sky. How she wishes that her Momma could be here with her still.

With tears pricking her eyes because of the long forgotten memories, Lucy breathed in deeply and let it out slowly to calm her racing heart and troubled mind.

 _To My Darling Lucy,_

 _Today is your twenty-first birthday, and I hope that it was filled with as much joy and excitement because you deserve nothing less than the best. I am truly sorry that I couldn't be there with you, it pains me to write this knowing that I will never see you grow up into the bright, brilliant woman I know you are._

 _My point is, even now, I know that I am not long for this world. But I am not sad; I will venture on, and once we meet among the stars once again, I will have many more stories for you as I know you will have many for me. Don't mourn me too much Lucy, when you get this note I will be with all the friends and family waiting for your time. Be strong for me, won't you?_

 _I know this is sudden, and quite frankly a little shocking, but when I told you all those years ago about the stories of the stars and that we were children of the night sky tasked with keeping their gates safe, I wasn't lying to you. Our family, passed down on my side, has a particular type of magic flowing through our veins. The magic of the stars, Celestial Magic. You are a Star Child and have the ability to see, speak, and bring forth the constellations to aid you in times of need._

 _But please be careful, and be wary. Our family was tasked with keeping them safe from harm because the stars are gates to other worlds. Many would wish to exploit them, and you by extension. Even our blood is valuable with many properties housed within it due to the stardust in our veins. Many years ago, I could call upon the stars, but my magic is dwindling fast, and I have lost the ability to see the physical forms of my beloved friends. Cancer of the blood is a nasty thing Lucy; this disease has stricken me down, but it isn't inherited as far as the doctors could tell, so you should be safe from harm._

 _This magic is very rare, and being born with it is only though this family. That being said, there are some that learn this magic but are not a true 'keeper' as you are. Seek out all the keys you can Lucy, bring them together and keep them safe from harm, and I promise you that they will do the same. We Star Children never break a promise; I know you remember that darling._

 _I know you will have more questions, so please seek out a man named Makarov in Magnolia. He and I were good friends once upon a time, and I know he will help you in any way he can. You can tell him you are my daughter and he will understand everything. When I knew him, he owned an establishment named Fairy Tail, a haven for those with magic in their hearts._

 _Be safe, be happy, and keep your keys close._

 _I love you, Little Star._

"I love you too Momma." Lucy cried through her pain, but also managed a small smile. Her mother loved her so much and was always watching her.

Not once did she doubt the validity of the letter in her hands. Her mother always told the truth and had instilled that mentality into Lucy at a very young age.

She brushed her keys with her finger tips, seeking confirmation of the written words before her, and before long, both gold and silver warmed to her touch, giving her strength and stability.

Lucy wiped her eyes, a sense of purpose stealing though her. She had a goal, a straightforward mission. She needed to talk to Levy right away. That girl was in another class altogether when it came to research.

And then, she would look for Makarov and Fair Tail. She had many questions, and she needed answers.


	5. One: Flames

All rights to Hiro Mashima

Beware the one sided GrayLu

* * *

~ **Part One: Flames** ~

 _noun: burning gas or vapor, as from wood or coal, that is undergoing combustion; a portion of ignited gas or vapour_

* * *

Lucy was awake at eight in the morning the next day. Her excitement over the revelation of her family's heritage woke her earlier than she would have liked. But it was no use, once awoken there was no way she could get her overactive mind to go back to sleep. She had too many questions rolling around in her brain and absolutely no answers.

So she took a long soothing bath, curled her hair, did her nails, primped and pampered herself to waste time.

So here she was, at twelve thirty in the afternoon toes tapping impatiently, blood flowing through her veins like she had an Americano with three extra shots of espresso and a six pack of her favourite energy drink on the side.

She was waiting on her lively researcher friend to send her a message back before she went anywhere today.

 _ChildoftheStars_ : Can you do some research on Celestial magic for me? It's for my book of stories about the stars and I thought a bit of authenticity would be nice. I know you, and I know you love to research, so I thought before I confused myself on the internet and in the library that I would come to you first.

That message was sent as soon as she woke up hours prior and the wait was excruciating. Tension filled Lucy. She didn't like to lie to her friends if she could help it. And she reasons that it wasn't really lying when she could incorporate the fruits of Levy's research labour in her book. So it was more of a bending of the truth then a blatant lie on her part.

Lucy looks at the clock again, only three minutes have passed. It feels like hours since she has looked at the time. Is this sorcery? Is there such thing as time magic? Because someone somewhere must be messing with her perception of the flow of time because she is dying over here.

To curb her ever-growing nervousness and excitement, she looks up 'Fairy Tail' and 'Markarov' online and strikes gold on the first search. Apparently those two key words together don't come up with many entries.

Technically, there was just one that popped up.

So Lucy loses herself in her own research, getting into the 'zone' and delving into the website made by one Mirajane Strauss for the establishment known as Fairy Tail.

According to the history page, in her mother's time, Fairy Tail was a cross between a social club, a hide away for the downtrodden and abandoned in society, and a popular pub. It was founded by one Mavis Vermillion many years ago, and survived all these years due to the illegal bootlegging it did.

Now, all these years later, it was owned by a man named Markarov Dreyer and is one of the most popular clubs in all of Magnolia, boasting such things as singles night every second Monday and half priced martinis on Thursdays.

Lucy is absolutely intrigued. A club, full of lights and loud music and _people_. Lots of sweaty dancing people. She's never been to a club and can't wait to experience it.

Seeing that the club opens at eight and that the popular DJs 'The Thunder Legion' were mixing tonight, Lucy reasons it's absolutely the best night to go. A smile splits her lovely face, and something dark creeps into it for only a second. It's been so long since she had genuine fun, so she wants to go all out.

She gasps. Lucy has absolutely nothing to wear that is remotely good to wear to a club. Checking out how much time as passed and gawking at the fact that two whole hours have breezed by without her knowledge, Lucy throws her makeup bag into her purse and checks to make sure she has all the necessities before she leaves for Magnolia to go shopping. Grabbing both sets of keys – house and magical – she locks up her bedroom and practically flies out of the mansion as if the hounds of hell are snapping at her heels.

Lucy is a smidge disappointed that she hasn't heard from Levy yet, but won't press the issue. She is sure to hear from her friend soon. She had another train to catch!

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

White or black tonight? Or maybe gold?

Lucy blows out a huff closing her eyes against the overhead lights of the store that are currently giving her the mother of all headaches. Fluorescents suck, and they always bother her, most non organic light usually does.

"Ugh! Shopping is so hard. Why does anyone subject themselves willingly to this? It should be known as a torture for the criminally depraved and not a national past time." Whining to herself in a store downtown surrounded by racks of clothes, Lucy is over her head. Literally. Multi coloured cloth of all shades and textures loom over her and seem to judge her selections. Its's been years since she has had the urge to be fashionable, usually she just asks Yukino or Sorano to buy her things and assume that they will do a good job with it.

She hears a small snort from the other side of the store. "You're telling me, I hate shopping as well, but I have to do it. Due to my condition." The voice is deep and raspy, all in a good way.

Lucy's intrigued at that statement. ' _What an odd thing to say_.'

"What condition are you talking about? Chronic pants eating? Or perhaps you suffer from invisible clothes syndrome?"

A disembodied laugh sounds almost next to her this time. "You're close. I actually have a problem with…stripping." Her eyes grow wide at the man's admission. It wasn't what Lucy thought she was going to hear at all.

Turning her head to the side to look at the other selection of on sale dresses her eyes glimpse a male. Specifically a naked male torso.

Deliciously defined abs, carved and toned muscle, blue tattoo over his right pectoral and a silver cross. Definitely a sight to behold.

Snapping her eyes front and center and looking at the male's face she sees a pair of wide dumbfounded dark grey eyes. "Huh, looks like you do have a stripping problem. Is that why you came in here? Wait…how did you even get in here with no shirt on?" She smirks at the young man in front of her.

"…What?" The young man seemed not able to form a coherent sentence. What Lucy didn't know was that her dark amber eyes and killer curves were wreaking havoc on his brain. His mind was a blank slate, buzzing with static and not much else.

Unsure of why he was looking at her so intensely, Lucy decided to make the first move. Sticking out her hand in a friendly gesture she introduced herself. "Hello. My name's Lucy. Maybe I can help you find a shirt?"

Lucy's greeting seemed to have a sobering effect on the man. Enveloping her hand with his large cold one, he firmly shook it. "Names Gray. Fullbuster. Nice to meet you…Lucy."

He rolled her name around in his mouth before saying it. It sounded sensual and dark, Lucy had never heard her name being said like that. She glanced up at those dark pools that he called eyes and they seemed to want to devour her whole.

Lucy didn't know what to do in this situation, so she just gives a gentle smile and gestures to his naked chest. "You do know you have no shirt on…right?"

He glanced down at his torso and heaves a great sigh. "I swear. I had one when I came in here. Like I said before, I have a…stripping problem. This is usual for me, I usually don't even wear one to cut down on the amount of discarded clothing I find around my house."

She brushes past Gray already on a mission to cover up all his delectable bits so she will stop staring at him and get her shopping finished. "Let me help you. Two heads and two sets of eyes will get the job done faster won't it?"

A deep genuine laugh leaves Gray's throat, bubbling with mirth and joy. "You know, most people wouldn't help. They would scream, or call the cops for public indecency, or kick me in the nuts."

"Ah, well, Gray I am not most people. I'm different than most." Spying a crumpled bit of white cloth on the floor by the front window where the manikins are on display, she exclaims happily and waves the shirt in the air. "Gray! I found it!"

"Thank Mavis for you." The stripping dark haired boy strides over to her. But there is a small problem with his clothes.

Or lack thereof.

"Uhm…Gray…not to be a bother, but your pants are missing as well now." Lucy just laughs at his glum expression. But he doesn't seem at all surprised at his disappearing trousers.

"I don't know how this happens to me. Here, give me my shirt back and I'll look for my pants. I think I should get out of here before the owner of the store dies of embarrassment and throws me out…but, we should get some coffee together. You're interesting and I want to know you better."

Is this flirting? Lucy has no clue, but she doesn't mind. Gray is nice and doesn't seem like a mass murderer so what's the harm in coffee right? "I would love that. I'm not quite finished in here but…I can meet you when I'm done?"

"Of course. There's a café two shops down, come meet me when you're done." Gray now, miraculously, has his pants back in their proper spot on his legs. "Oh, and the black dress. Get the black one."

With that parting piece of advice Gray waves and leaves the shop with a small secretive smile on his lips.

Lucy turns back to the task at hand and gives the black dress in her hands a once over. ' _The black dress huh? Guess I better try it on.'_

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

He can't get his heart beat under control. Nothing he does is releasing him from the grip of adrenaline that she released in him.

Lucy.

Oh Mavis, she is beautiful. Big deep eyes full of expression, shining hair like a river of gold, pale flawless skin and the curves on that woman would make any man bow down in submission.

Gray groans low in his throat. It's not often that something stirs his libido, but this girl is something special. An hourglass figure that would slay a lesser man, pouty full lips, and that laugh. Like silver bells ringing in the early morning.

She was truly a gorgeous woman and he wanted to get to know her. In all ways.

' _Maybe I should invite her with me tonight? That dress she was buying will be distracting in so many ways though. Oh Mavis, her long legs…_ '

Gray adjusts the hardness in his pants surreptitiously and smirks. Loke is going to be so jealous of him, finding this flawless gem before that stupid playboy. Maybe if things go well tonight, he could get to know her intimately. His bed had been devoid of life these past few weeks, the club empty of anyone that catches his fancy, men and women alike.

Ordering an iced coffee and sitting down at a small table in the corner of the café he waits patiently for Lucy. Gray looked around for a clock and realized that it was half past five.

He didn't have to wait long, less than two minutes later Lucy glided into the coffee shop glowing in the wake of the dying evening light.

"Americano please, and a biscotti if you have any left." Lucy looks around the shop and spots her interesting new friend Gray smiling at her with an almost feral look in her eyes.

A shiver runs down her spine and she looks away quickly. Gray's gaze is almost too intense to keep eye contact. But he is so different and funny that she resolves to at least try to look him in the eye while they chat.

Saying thank you to the barista Lucy sits down across from the ebony haired boy. "So Gray, want to tell me where you picked up stripping? Do it for a living maybe?"

Gray just huffs, slightly embarrassed by her words, but he knows she's kidding. He launches into a story about his mentor Ur and how they would practice in the freezing cold, stripping down to their underwear to be able to withstand the elements. Gray opened up to Lucy, more than he has to anyone in a long time, talking about Ur and his adopted brother Lyon.

Laughs were shared and stories passed back and forth. Lucy confided that she didn't have many friends beyond the stars and those she had met online, and Gray didn't look at her any differently so she felt like she could trust him with some of the stories that her mother told her.

They also realized that they both go to Magnolia University, he was majoring in general chemistry and liked to ice sculpt on the side. So they exchanged usernames for the chat room that they both frequented. Lucy asked him about the name ' _IceKing_ ' and he just shrugged.

Every so often, Gray couldn't help by stare at the sexy woman in front of him. How could he not? He was a hot blooded – some would argue cold-blooded – male in the peak of his life. Lucy was deliciously supple and he was quite aware that the tightness in his pants that was due to her cleavage spilling out of her low cut t-shirt. He was sure to have more than one interestingly carnal dream about her in the near future.

Lucy peeked at her watch and gasped. It was a quarter past seven. If she wanted to get into Fairy Tail before the huge crowd came she really needed to get ready now. So she regrettably said goodbye to Gray saying that she had somewhere to be soon. But before she could make a break for the bathroom in the back of the café Gray asked her a very interesting question.

"What did you buy the dress for?"

Cocking her head to the side Lucy smiled at his curiosity, it seemed genuine. "I have plans to go to a club tonight. I'm looking for someone and he's rumored to be there on most nights."

' _Damn it, she already has plans_.' Cursing his bad luck Gray hold up his phone. "Put your cell number in it. Maybe we can meet up later if your club gets boring."

Nodding Lucy inputs the necessary information into his strange phone. It looked like a cross between plastic and glass and was completely clear except for the interface on the front. It's obviously expensive and very new agey.

"I'll let you know Gray. Thanks for the nice afternoon, I'm happy that I made at least one more friend." Lucy waved once more and ducked into the bathrooms in the back.

Gray blows out a breath, trying to keep his fantasies under control, but it's no use. He needs to get out into the fresh air and calm down, so he decides to walk to Fair Tail tonight. Even if the night gets cold it won't bother him at all.

Rubbing a hand through his messy spiked hair Gray heaves another sigh. "Goddamn, I'm in so much trouble."

Hopefully a fight with fire crotch can sort out his pent up lust for the blonde so that he isn't painfully at attention for the rest of the night.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"Damn it ice princess, what the hell was that for? You just come out of nowhere and punch me in the jaw? Who in the fuck pissed in your cornflakes this morning?"

' _Dear Mavis that hurt!_ _Who knew Gray could pack a punch like that_? _Usually I have a little more warning than that._ '

Natsu really wanted to know who crawled up the snowflakes' ass today and maybe send the perpetrator a gift basket in thanks. Usually he had to work really hard to see this level of discomfort in his rival. Gleefully Natsu jumps back onto his seat at the bar, patting the stool beside him.

"Shut up you fucking fire bug. And I'm not mad. I'm…just…sexually frustrated?" Gray couldn't believe he was telling Natsu this. Cringing internally at the way he sounded so needy and desperate Gray waited for Natsu's response.

"What? Not getting enough action lately? Take a look around buddy, lots of ladies here tonight for the Thunder Legion. Anyone could be your next conquest. Or maybe Loke's if you don't get their fast enough." Natsu nodded sagely at his advice. It's not like he had any experience in the 'bedding a woman' part. Strangers tended to shy away from him. Which was fine. He wasn't looking for a quick lay. He personally gets one person in the whole world and that's it for him. They were destined to meet someday.

Hopefully soon, because being a twenty three year old virgin is sometimes annoying.

Gray gave an exaggerated eye roll as Loke ambled up and sat on Natsu's other side at the bar. "My ears were burning. You idiots talking about me again?"

"Shut it Loke. I was just about to tell Natsu about this girl I met this afternoon while I was shopping for clothes. God, she was gorgeous. Curves in all the right places, blonde hair, gigantic brown eyes, creamy skin that was just _begging_ to be touched." Gray looks up at the woman behind the bar. "Hey Cana, double whiskey for me tonight."

As he collects his drink from tipsy bar tender, Loke asks a very important question. "Why didn't you invite her here? I would have loved to see this beauty you speak of."

"Oi, back off Loke. I saw her first. And she already had plans at some club, but she might come later. I got her number before she left after we had coffee together."

Loke grin is feral. "Good, maybe when she gets here I can show her just how a gentleman should act around a woman of her calibre."

Natsu snorts at this ridiculous conversation. "Gods, both of you have more than enough sex on a weekly basis. Can't you leave the poor girl alone and get to know her before you try to jump into her pants?"

Twin guffaws are heard from both sides on Natsu. "I can't believe you, the eternal virgin, are giving the both of us _love_ advice." Natsu's ears flush at Loke's comment.

"Shut up you idiots. You know how it works for me. I get one, and that's it. It's so rare that I might not even find her." Natsu knows that there is a chance that he will never meet the one he is destined for, but that's life really, it's not always fair. Maybe _ChildoftheStars_ is the one for him, if they ever meet.

It's exhausting mooning over someone that you've never met and Natsu is getting tired of daydreaming of a faceless woman. ' _Maybe I should ask for her name when I get home tomorrow_.'

"I'll get a slow gin fizz please." A sultry voice sounds from down the bar on the opposite end of the three gentlemen.

Suddenly Gray inhales his drink and coughs his lungs out trying to get rid of the offending liquid. "Oh Gods, Lucy." His voice in strangled and tight, whether from the hacking and spluttering wildly or from something else.

"That's her guys. That's the woman I met out this afternoon. Holy fucking shit. Can you understand now why I'm wound up tighter than a spring?" Gray points down the bar from them at the blonde and both Natsu and Loke take a sharp breath in once spotting her, but for entirely different reasons.

"Oh Mavis. Look at the rack on her! That dress looks painted on…I wonder how long it would take for me to get it off." Loke, ever the proverbial ladies' man, seems just as excited about Lucy's assets as Gray does.

Loke isn't the only man in the club ogling Lucy's body, between Gray and him and every other man within a twenty metre radius, she is making quite the spectacle as she leans over the counter to receive her drink from Cana. Clad in a tight black dress stopping mid-thigh and gold pumps that compliment her hair wonderfully, Lucy strides through the throng of people already jumping and grinding to the beat that Bixslow of the Thunder Legion just started to mix.

For Natsu, he wasn't looking at her curves or her clothes or the way her hips were swaying to the music.

Well, maybe he was a little. But he was mostly looking at her eyes.

And he was drowning in them, and he would be forever damned into their depths. Natsu could see a curious light in them akin to his own flames swirling and sparking in their depths.

The woman…Lucy, seemed to spot Gray and waved with her other hand that wasn't holding her drink.

"Gray! What a surprise to see you here. Lose your shirt again eh?"

Natsu doesn't listen to Gray's smooth response, nor does he comment on the fact that the stripper did indeed…strip his shirt away within the last two minutes.

"Lucy, these are my friends Loke and Natsu." Gray's voice snaps him out of his trance and Natsu watches as Lucy shakes hands with Loke, only for him to kiss the back of it like some sort of prince charming.

Lucy pulls back her hand slightly from Loke's grip with a polite nod and then turns to Natsu. His breath hitches as those devilish pools of chocolate are turned on him again, ensnaring him in their trap.

"Hi. Natsu was is?" She looks into his own eyes just as intently. Everything around him is washing away into the background. All Natsu can see is her. Just Lucy.

"Yah, I'm Natsu. Nice to meet you." She takes his hand, and he swears that he has never felt something so soft in all his life. Pins and needles prickle his hand where they are connected.

And then he says the dumbest thing that he has ever said while out in public. "Do you like dragons?"

Mentally, Natsu is freaking out. 'DRAGONS? WHO THE FUCK ASKS SOMETHING LIKE THAT OF A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN IN A CLUB?!'

But Lucy's response is a small giggle at his peculiar question and an even more surprising answer to his weird ass query.

"Yes I do. My favourite is Draco." Her eyes widen a fraction, almost in recognition, like déjà vu.

Natsu is blown away. He knows that answer. He would never forget a conversation like that. It sparked the beginning of the best friendship he has ever had.

He has to ask, she seems so familiar and he just has to know. So pushing aside his excitement and trepidation he swallows thickly and breaths out four words.

"Child of the Stars?"


	6. One: Ignite

All rights to Hiro Mashima

I would like to dedicate this chapter to Soul-of-Glass. Your review made me laugh so hard I actually snorted out loud, heavenly Natsu thighs indeed. Thanks for making my day.

* * *

~ **Part One: Ignite** ~

 _Verb: to set on fire; kindle_

* * *

Lucy was rendered speechless. With her mind blank and her lips slightly parted in surprise, she could do nothing more than stand in a single spot in the middle of the floor, Natsu's warm hand still held in hers. His eyes held her there, rooted her to the ground. They were like black holes, sucking in everything around them but not revealing anything about their depths. At least not yet.

But she could see one thing for sure. Fire, deep and rich, dancing merrily within those ebony pools. She knew right away that he was something different, he was someone so radically different than anyone she had ever met before in her entire life.

' _How does he know that name? Who is this man?_ ' Suddenly questions start to swirl through her mind, each more disjointed than the last.

"How do you know that moniker? Who told you about it?" Lucy may seem a bit suspicious, and her tone might be a little accusatory, but she's just frightened. And _maybe_ a small part of her is excited.

"It's you, isn't it? You are Child of the Stars, aren't you?" Natsu can't believe his luck. The amazing woman with the sharpest tongue and wittiest brain he has ever had the pleasure of conversing with is now standing before him. For months he has been waiting to ask her to meet, for months he has been fantasising about her, about what she looked like. And now she's finally here, and she is just as beautiful as he thought she would be.

"You know you still haven't answered my question." Neither party actually hears the loud music of the club around them or sees any of the other patrons dancing and drinking. Lucy and Natsu are in their own little world, far away from the ruckus and noise. It feels like it's just the two of them.

Natsu takes one step closer to Lucy, forcing her to look up at him if she wanted to keep the eye contact that neither had broken yet. Neither really wanted to look away, and neither found that it was in their power to do so. "I can't believe I'm finally meeting you…"

"Oi! Salamander! What the hell are you doing over here? We're having a drinking contest with Cana!" The loud voice of a large man breaks the spell that held both of them in its grasp. Lucy looks over to see a stranger – to her – with a mane of long black hair, multiple piercings, and dark red eyes.

' _Wait…Salamander? As in Fire Salamander?_ ' Lucy's mind goes haywire. Her best friend, the man that she has been chatting with anonymously for months now is very close to her, the man who got her one of the most amazing gifts she has ever received is now looking at her with those soulful onyx eyes, and _still holding her hand_.

"Fire Salamander?" Lucy blurts out of nowhere. She sees his eyes light up, and a happy smile curls gently at the edges of his lips. It was him. Natsu.

She can't breathe. She can't think anything but the same sentence over and over again.

' _It's him. It's him. It's him!_ '

"Piss off rust bucket, can't you see I'm in the middle of something? Shouldn't you get back to your girlfriend anyways?" Natsu's attention is still on this beautiful woman in front of him. Lucy. Child of the Stars. His eyes are glued to hers, disbelief and hope both warring heavily on his face. He only assumes that she is feeling the same way about him.

Gajeel scoffs. ' _Since when has the Salamander even spoken to a woman before? And what is with all the gazing into each other's eyes crap?_ '

"Whatever, Shrimp ain't here right now. If you're gonna make out or something, you should really outta the middle of the floor. You're blocking everyone." Gajeel stomps away, his heavy boots making noise every time he strikes the floor.

Gray and Loke can't believe their eyes. Natsu, the twenty-three-year-old virgin, is talking to a woman. A gorgeous woman at that. And it seems that they have known each other before this, although from where is a mystery to the both of them.

"What the hell is going on here? I saw Lucy first, Natsu knows that. And what is with all the eye contact between them, it's freakin' weird! Their conversation makes no fucking sense at all!" Denial. Absolute and utter denial. There is no way that the Salamander is picking up a chick! Gray can't seem to wrap his head around it.

"I know what you mean. Shit, do you think she's his 'one'?" Loke knows when he's beaten. He can see it in their eyes, there is no way anyone could wedge themselves between the two lovebirds now. When Gray doesn't answer his question and sits in a stony, angry silence instead, he also realises that Gray is going to be a major problem. ' _Better watch out you two. Best of luck, though._ '

Loke isn't a complete dick or a real womaniser, he treats them with respect their due, but he likes to flirt a lot, though. It's in his nature after all. He just chooses to act that way.

He needs the distraction, and has no other choice, really. Loke spies a lonely looking girl on the dance floor and makes the decision for a tactical retreat away from the glowering Gray. He gives one last jaunty salute to Mira behind the bar, muttering his thanks for the service, and weaves his way through the crowd.

"Is it really you?" Lucy's voice sounds wistful and desperate. And she feels that way, deep in her heart. She hopes to everything that is holy that this is truly her best friend and not some elaborate trick.

Natsu nods his head slowly. "Yah, it's me. We had an argument a month ago about whether or not animals could understand everything that we say, but just lacked the means to reply."

Lucy had heard enough. It _was_ him. Of course, it was him, Fire Salamander – or should she say Natsu – would never lie to her. She knew that.

So, in light of that startling revelation, Lucy untangled her hand from his and put down her untouched drink on the bar counter. She turned back towards that silly pink haired man with tears in her eyes and a giant smile on her face, and threw herself into his arms, hugging him like her life depended on it.

For exactly one second Natsu Dragneel was frozen, but then instinct and a sense of possessiveness stole over his entire being, so he hugged her back, crushing her against his torso. Nuzzling his nose slightly into her silky hair he took a deep breath of her scent, ingraining it into his memories.

Lilacs.

Honey.

And nighttime.

"It's so nice to meet you Natsu, I've been wanting to see your face since we started talking, you know. But I just knew it wasn't the right time. I understand now, this meeting is so much more exciting that I could have ever hoped for. Who would have thought that we would recognise each other without ever knowing what the other looked like?" Lucy sighs into his warm, hard, _very_ masculine chest. He smelled like a forest, fresh and spicy.

"I know what you mean Lucy. What are the chances?" Natsu laughs at that thought. "It could've been fate I guess, or something like that. Or maybe we just have really good luck." He absentmindedly started to rub soothing circles on Lucy's back with one hand. She felt so comfortable in his arms, she felt like home. She smelt like home and happiness. Both their eyes are closed, and neither seems to notice that they are swaying slowly to the bass beat of a new song.

They both jump a little when they hear glass shattering, the sound ripping them out of their trances. Lucy looked around to pinpoint the source of the disturbance and found a shocked looking Gray holding the remains of a whisky tumbler in his right hand.

But she didn't focus on his livid eyes, nor the carefully constructed blank expression on his face. No, gentle, sweet Lucy looked at his hand where she could see light scratches and wounds from the glass, some still embedded in his palm from gripping too hard.

"Gray! Are you alright? What happened?" Untangling herself from Natsu – which took a bit of effort on both ends as neither really wanted to let go – Lucy scrambled over to Gray's side as fast as she could in platform heels.

Coming to his senses Gray finally notices the wounds on his hand and the mess of glass shards around him on the bar. He waves off Lucy's questions with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes and turned towards the lovely Mirajane to ask for a cloth and some bandages.

"Yo stripper, what the hell happened? You space out or something?" Natsu can _smell_ the waves of need and lust rolling off his rival; however, he can't tell why it's happening. Until he takes a glance at what Gray is staring at.

Gray is looking at Lucy. _His_ Lucy.

And Gray's eyes are _hungry_.

Oh, that won't do. That won't do at all. Natsu has just found his best friend in the flesh and realised that she is the only woman to have ever make him feel any sort of heat other than his own. She makes his blood ignite in his veins, new power zipping and singing through his blood.

And he knows _exactly_ what that means. She's his, and his alone. Natsu just hopes that the icicle will back off without the need for confrontation because threatening a dragon's claim is dangerous and deadly.

He grins widely at Gray, catching his eye, as Lucy insists on wrapping his wounds and cleaning the remaining blood off his arm.

While thankful to Lucy for her attentiveness, Gray can't help but shiver in delight at the contact between them, she is very close to him, and her fingertips drag scorching patterns on his wrists with every pass of the white bandages. Then he looks up at Natsu, but doesn't see his long-time friend…rival…enemy. He sees a man with pupils so small they are almost non-existent with a smile so broad and dark that sharp canines can be seen. Subtly, small patches of blood red scales start to appear on Natsu's skin.

His dragon is coming out to play.

Gray knows that this is a threat. An obvious one at that. Gray is encroaching on a dragon's territory, and he might not make it to tomorrow if he keeps on his current path. ' _Gods, what a possessive bastard._ '

Choosing his only option that keeps his head attached to his neck, he disengages from Lucy's hands gripping the blood stained cloth instead.

"Thanks, Lucy, but I'm okay. I'll just finish cleaning this up." Gray can see that Lucy is claimed, something that was aligned before they were all born. But that notion doesn't make the fact that he will never see her naked any less aggravating.

Doesn't mean he won't fantasise about her, though. Many, many times.

Taking his leave, he sees a young woman raking her eyes over his bare torso. After the sting of rejection – sort of – all he wants to do is take out his aggression and _need_ with someone _._ Sauntering up to her, he grabs her hand pulling her close to his body, swaying and grinding to the beat.

"What's your name?" Gray doesn't really need to know it, he doesn't really care. But it's only polite. A means to an end.

"Juvia" She answers, her long blue hair swaying as she twists in his grasp, forcing her ass to rub over his carefully concealed stiffness. Although it isn't as concealed now.

"Gray." And that's all the talking that is needed between them. Shifting his gaze towards the juncture of her pale neck, he leans forward and places hot, wet, lingering kisses on it. He is delighted to hear her soft moans and to feel her skin prickle with goose-flesh. She's a responsive one, and she'll do for tonight at least.

Before long, the pair strode out into the night towards a dark car. One wants to forget about a golden goddess, and the other wants to remember everything about this dark haired knight with the shining silver cross.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"Natsu, do you come to Fairy Tail a lot?" Lucy's question made him pause and think for a moment.

"Well, yeah, I was brought up by Gramps, um…Makarov, a lot of the regulars were. We are the orphans, the lost, the _abandoned_." No, he can't think like that. His father will come back. Someday. He wasn't actually abandoned, just…misplaced for a while.

"Oh! I almost forgot in all the excitement of meeting you, I need to talk to Makarov. It was a request from my mother."

Natsu nods absentmindedly, trying to remember the name of Lucy's mom. He knows that she's mentioned her before. "Layla right? Hold one, we can find out whether or not gramps is in his office from Mira."

As if summoned by the utterance of her name, the lovely Mira appears behind them out of thin air. "Evening Natsu, who's your friend here?" Her voice is beautiful and melodic, but underneath is a second tone, dark and demonic. It harmonises in a hypnotic way, swirling and spiralling beneath Mira's smile.

"Hey Mira, can I get a beer, please? Oh, this is Lucy. We both go to Magnolia University." While he is steering under the heading of chemical engineering, Natsu knows that Lucy is taking all her time for creative writing and astronomy. He doesn't know if she wants to tell anyone her last name yet…so he will keep it in between them for now.

"Nice to meet you officially Lucy, my name is Mirajane Strauss, but you can call me Mira, this is your first time at Fairy Tail, right? Do you have any questions?"

Lucy grins at Mira delighted at the easy conversation between them already. This is what she has been missing from her life, friends, and an actual honest to god family. "Oh, yes! I was wondering if I could speak to Makarov Dreyer for a moment. Apparently, he was a good friend of my mom's when she was alive, and I found a letter from her saying that she wanted me to meet him."

Mira looks a little disheartened. She knows what it's like to not have a mother anymore. With equal amounts of acceptance and sympathy warring on her face she answers the question. "I'm sorry guys, but he was called away for a meeting in Clover this morning."

"Well shit. I was really hoping that he could help me out with something imperative. Will he be here tomorrow?" Lucy doesn't really want to ride the train back to her house tonight and then back out here tomorrow. ' _Maybe I should rent a hotel room? It would be easier and possibly cheaper as well, rather than commuting back and forth for two days_.'

Mira nodded and gave a dazzlingly bright smile that seemed to light up all the corners of the room. "You bet, he should be here for the opening club at eight tomorrow." Mira spots another patron down the bar a ways, trying to grab her attention by waving money in the air impatiently. "Gotta go, guys! Pleased to meet you, Lucy. Have fun tonight and see you tomorrow."

Turning back to her own drink, Lucy takes a long sip. "Mira seems so sweet, although…she seems like there's something else behind her, simmering just beneath the surface of her skin. It's like…she has an inner beast that she is constantly at war with and is just barely suppressing it beneath smiles and laughter."

Honestly, Natsu's impressed. He knew Lucy was smart, but he didn't realise just how observant she actually was. She seems to pick up on Mira's other half really quickly, the half that most people wouldn't dare comment on if they knew what was good for them.

"Well, Mira's always been like that. She was taken in by Makarov as well as her sister Lisanna and her brother Elfman when they were much younger. Lis moved away for school for a couple years, but the bouncer outside, the one with all the muscles and ridiculous sideburns is Elfman."

Lucy nods her head sagely and finishes off her drink. It's interesting learning about all of Natsu's friends. She wants to hear all his stories, she wants to relive all his adventures with him, and hopefully make new memories as well.

Natsu can't help but watch her, his Lucy, his best friend. After pining after her for what felt like an eternity, he wants to soak up all her mannerisms, memorise all her quirks and weird tendencies. He wants to know exactly what goes on in that incredible mind of hers.

"Well, that was fast. Do they know each other?" Glancing in the direction of where Lucy is pointing, Natsu watches as Gray's head of dark hair ducks out into the night with a woman plastered to his side, whispering decidedly naughty things in his ear.

"Oh? No, I've never seen them together before tonight. Don't worry too much about Gray, though, he never takes the same woman home twice. He and Loke are like that." Unconsciously, Natsu grasps her hand in his and brushes his thumb over the backs of Lucy's knuckles. He just wants to be close to her, reassure himself that this is real, that Lucy is truly here with him and not another dream.

' _His hand is so warm and soothing, I could melt into a puddle on the floor right this instant_.' Lucy closes her eyes and hums in contentment. Never has she felt as safe as when she was in Natsu's arms. This is a close second to her favourite feelings, but it's something different. She looks up into his eyes yet again, their substantial depths pulling her in, making sure nothing escapes their grasp.

Natsu moves his hand from hers and lightly traces her knuckles on her hand, then circles her wrist and drags a burning path up her arm to her shoulder. He pauses then, his heart hammering away in his chest so loudly he swears it could be heard above the music. She hasn't pushed him away yet, so he reasons he might as well give it a shot. Taking a stray lock of her golden hair, he gently pushes it behind her ear. Slowly, he cups her cheek in that hand, rubbing her cheekbone lightly with his slightly callused thumb.

Lucy leans into his touch, nuzzling his hand and letting out a heavy sigh. No one has made her feel this before. This heat, this desire to do… _something_. She doesn't quite know what she needs, but she wants to find out. Sparks fly from the contact between their skin, and something settles deep within her. Lucy's bones melt and ignite simultaneously. In a fit of unfounded bravery, Lucy covers his hand on her cheek with one of her own, an important question on her lips. "Natsu…will you dance with me tonight?"

Who is he to deny her? He would do just about anything for Lucy, for his child of the stars.


	7. One: Burn

All rights to Hiro Mashima

* * *

~ **Part One: Burn** ~

 _Verb: to undergo rapid combustion or consume fuel in such a way as to give off heat, gases, and usually light_

* * *

Well into the night, and even into the wee hours of the morning, they danced together in a spiral of tangled limbs and heavy breathing. The Fire Salamander and the Star Child held each other close, both afraid that if they let go, they would wake up from what would have to be the best dream they had both ever had.

Because surely this was a dream. For Natsu, his only goal at the beginning of the night was to drink himself into a stupor and maybe give Gray a black eye. Never had he thought that he would meet his best friend, here in Fairy Tail of all places and that she would shine as brightly as the stars that she covets so deeply. So, all his goals for the foreseeable future had now shifted at a ninety-degree angle, his top priority being to _feel_ her, whether it be her hand or the taper of her waist or the skin of her cheek.

Or something more, but he wasn't holding out too much hope for that because they only just officially met a few hours prior.

He also wants to know her. There is only so much you can say online, and sometimes the meaning is lost in translation with no facial expressions to give clues as to the hidden code behind some statements. This communication style, face to face, is what he lives for. Natsu is and will always be a truly social person, who loves to talk and laugh with his friends, see the expression in their eyes when they tell an exciting story, and get swept up in the sound of their laughter. Not being able to hear Lucy's voice for months on end was killing him a little inside.

But it was worth the wait. Everything was so worth it. She was here now, and that's all that mattered. His Lucy was dancing so close to him he could feel the warmth of her skin though her dress. Her hands clasped behind his neck rubbing absentminded circles on his nape were so delicate that he could barely feel if she was touching him at all. But when she did touch him – honest to the gods – he thought he was going to burst into flames and disintegrate into a pile of ashes out here on the dance floor.

They were surrounded by a jumbled mess of bodies, sweaty and sticky from the heat. But all the two could see were each other. They were close together through necessity as there wasn't a lot of room left between all the people, but Natsu deemed the proximity of Lucy not close enough.

So he did what he had to do to convey his displeasure at the space left between them, he grasped her dress-clad hips in both hands and dragged her flush against his torso. ' _That's better.'_

At that moment his brain ceased to function as he felt just how truly close they were. He could now feel how her hips were swaying in his hands, and he could see how a light sheen of sweat now covered her body and made her glisten like the night sky under the strobing lights.

And he could smell her. Dear gods, he could smell everything about her. The light flowery scent of her perfume, the musky smell of her sweat from dancing, and the deliciously deep dark scent of her excitement. She was fantastic, flowing through her moves like a trained dancer, so beautiful and graceful with just a hint of sass that kept a man guessing. He could hear her ragged breaths, from the dancing he presumed, or maybe it was something more.

He could only hope that he was affecting her just as much as she was affecting him. The evidence of that fact was sitting low in his pants, tense and aching, he really needed a cold shower, but was reluctant to move even an inch away from this seductress in front of him. Any man could see she was something special, but she was Natsu's, and she could be scooped up by any of these jokers around them. At this thought a feral growl of a warning to any man who was foolish to even come close to this woman rumbled up though his chest. Gods forbid if any man touched her that in his eyes was deemed inappropriate.

They were likely to lose a hand for their trouble.

Lucy gasped as she felt a growl spill from Natsu's chest into hers, vibrating the air around them. Lucy had never felt so alive in her life. Dancing here with her Fire Salamander felt so right, even the hands that were clutching her waist needed to stay where they were because it made her feel something new.

Something exciting. She had never really been touched before, her house being so big and lonely. Even hugs were sparse and few between because her parents were gone so early in her life. Her sisters were a balm on her aching heart, but they just weren't…enough. It was too platonic.

She wanted to be held like she was an anchor in someone's life and if they let go, they were liable to drift off into the atmosphere. She wanted someone to touch her, to light a fire deep in her bones.

And Lucy could feel that with Natsu. He was gripping her so tightly like he was worried she was going to disappear on him. She loved it; she relished the feeling of being needed, of being wanted. The hug that he gave her earlier was so tight and warm she could see herself falling asleep in his embrace.

She hoped she might one day.

With those thoughts in mind, she made another pact with herself. She would not go back to not knowing this man in front of her. She would speak to him in person, culminate an actual relationship with him, whether it is friendly or not.

She hoped he would become more than just her best friend one day, as she could see that he was loyal and a genuinely beautiful person under all that pink hair and gleaming smile. She wanted that smile all to herself. She had never been greedy in her whole life, but she deemed it necessary. His full toothy grin was a treasure to be coveted, so she would.

One of his hands moved up from her hips and skimmed up the length of her arm, ghosting over her bare shoulder to land under her chin. He tilted her head up, so they were eye to eye, his on full display, gleaming and glinting in the dim lights. "You are so beautiful Lucy, just as I pictured you." She heard his voice, low, raw and so hypnotic in her ear.

No one had ever called her beautiful before, and never in that tone of voice. But she loved it when Natsu said it. She didn't know what she should say back, so she just smiled, a hint of a blush stealing over her cheeks.

Lucy leant into his embrace, even more, their lower halves connecting in a more intimate grind. She could feel his arousal slightly through his pants, and she jolted slightly before realising that _she_ was the one who made him feel like that.

Her. And no one else. So she relaxed into him, letting the beat sweep her away. Her core was aching slightly at the thought of his hard length so close to her, hidden under the layers of his clothes.

Confidence swept through her like a wave. She wanted to see what else she could do to Natsu, could she cause him to lose even more control of his body? She slowly moved her hands down from his neck, skimming over his collar bones to graze his muscled chest.

She felt all his muscles jump from her touch, his abs twitching under her palms. A slightly strangled noise erupted from his throat, a mix of a groan and a whine unique to Natsu, something she had never heard before. A wicked grin passed over her face for a moment. He wasn't immune to her advances it seems.

She looked up into his eyes again, a fire immediately lighting between her legs when she saw the naked _lust_ flashing in his eyes. "Natsu…" She breathed.

She wanted to kiss him. To feel what it was like, just this once, even if it never happened again.

Lucy leant in towards him, and he towards her. Natsu seemed to have the same notion about her lips, although his thoughts were more in the realms of just what those lips could do to him given half a chance.

Millimetres. There were mere millimetres between them when a buzzing noise and a vibration on Lucy's right thigh broke the spell like a rock though a glass window. The remnants of the little world they were in shattering all around them.

Strapped to her thigh, Lucy had her phone set on vibrate in the case of emergencies, and her set of magical keys. Neither could be seen under her dress unless closely inspected.

Natsu groaned low in his throat and dropped his slightly sweaty forehead onto Lucy's shoulder. All he wanted was a kiss, one kiss from Lucy and he would be able to die a happy man. "Dammit. I have to answer this; I'll be back in a minute." And then she was gone from his arms, striding away towards the exit.

Natsu had never felt colder than he did at that moment. The eternal fire that burned within him felt like nothing compared to what Lucy's touch could do to him.

Sidling up to the bar yet again, ignoring the sharp looks and smiles from a particular demon bar maid, Natsu ordered another drink, spiced rum this time, to try to warm his insides back up.

It was a nice thought until his ridiculously acute hearing picked up the sounds of a woman's scream from outside. The discomfort in his gut and the painful squeeze in his chest deemed the sound important.

He knew it was Lucy.

"Gajeel! Laxus! With me!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, barley being heard over the pounding beat of the club. But he knew that they heard him, just as he knew they would follow him out into the night.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

Buzzing incessantly against her thigh, Lucy's phone was becoming a nuisance to her. And she wasn't feeling at all amicable to whomever was on the other side of this phone call that interrupted her first kiss with a gorgeous hunk of a man who actually seemed to like her for herself, and not the amount of money her parents had. Or the fact that she was now the sole heir to said fortune.

No.

Even if Natsu knew her last name, he wouldn't be that petty. From all the talks they had on the chat site, she knew that he was an honest, honourable man. ' _I think I should tell him my whole name and identity.'_ She knew it was past time to tell him. Their bond was built on trust, and she would be damned before anything or anyone came between them, especially something as stupid as her fucking last name.

It seems that Lucy is very protective over her Fire Salamander, but she didn't know why just yet.

Ripping off her phone from the strap around her thigh, Lucy accepts the call and offers a terse "What!" before she could even check the number on the caller ID.

"LUCY! Thank God! Where the hell are you? We checked everywhere today! You missed all our texts for hours, so I decided to call you instead! Do you know what time it is? We were so worried!"

Lucy slaps her hands over her eyes and sighs. "Sora…I'm sorry, I didn't realise that I didn't tell you and Yuki anything. I'm in Magnolia…at a club. Sora…I met a guy. His name is Natsu."

Immediately Sorano's whole demeanour took a complete one-eighty spin. "Oh! Well, why didn't you say so? A man you say…well, good luck sis! Just remember to use protection and such. On another note…when will you be home? Hopefully, tomorrow sometime, if you catch my meaning."

And Lucy did catch her meaning. Ever the blunt one Sorano couldn't have known all the wonderfully delicious images that she was conjuring up in Lucy's brain.

"Yeah, I think tomorrow night, really late probably, or early the next morning. I have to come back here to Fairy Tail to talk to the owner. Apparently, he was good friends with my mother when she was alive. Hopefully, he can tell me a little more about her and maybe he has some stories to share. I'll get a hotel room or something so that I don't waste money on the commute back and forth from the house."

"Alight then. Have fun tonight girly. Both Yuki and I love you lots, be safe!"

And then Sorano was gone, happy that she did her due diligence with regards to her sisters. She would always worry about Lucy a bit; she worked so hard all the time. But maybe this is the push she needs to grow and stretch her wings so to speak.

Lucy smiled down at her phone for a second, pleased that she had such a wonderful sister in her life.

A cold breeze blew down the avenue, making her shiver and wish she had thought to bring a jacket. Even though it was a warm summer's night, she was sweaty from the dancing inside and causing her a touch of distress. So she turned back towards Fairy Tail in hopes that Natsu would still be inside. She wasn't ready to stop dancing with him, even though it was almost one in the morning.

A foreign hand grabbed her forearm in a bruising grip. She knew this wasn't Natsu without even turning around. He would never hurt her like this, and she would bet any amount of money that the person now holding her arm wasn't friendly in any way.

"Lucy Heartfilia. Who knew that the boss was right and you finally came down from that palace you call a house. Now give us those keys, and we'll let you go."

She was right. This man and the other three beefy idiots that surrounded her on all her sides were not pleasant in the slightest. From the steel in their eyes and the fact that they were all carrying strange looking guns, she deduced that they were more than likely some mercenaries.

"How do you know that name? How did you know I was here of all places!? And what keys are you talking about?" Lucy silently applauded herself for not stuttering even though her insides felt like they were becoming liquid and all she wanted to do was curl up on the ground and cower. She wouldn't let them take her keys; they were all she had left of her mother other than her love of the stars and a gigantic mansion.

She wanted to cry.

But she wouldn't give these assholes the satisfaction. Oh no, she was her father's daughter after all, and in the face of a problem, she would stand tall and proud and piss them off before she succumbed to her fear. ' _I hope Papa's proud of me for this. Wherever he is.'_

The man gave her no answer to her questions, only to leer at her exposed skin with lustful and calculating eyes. So she did the only thing she could think of at the moment to keep the slimy bastard away from touching her.

She kicked him in the balls, ramming her slightly pointed heel into his groin as far as it would go. Stunned and in an immense amount of pain, the leader of this little group fell onto the sidewalk and vomited up his dinner, groaning and whining like a child.

Everyone else, including Lucy, stood stalk still, flabbergasted that the tiny, rich, brat of a girl had the audacity to fight back against them.

Lucy, coming out of her stupor before the rest of the men, did the next thing that came to mind, even if it was the wrong choice and they shot her in the next minute. She knew that they would call her bluff about those keys strapped to her leg. Someone told them she was here, someone knew about those keys, and someone wanted them for themselves.

She screamed, hoping and praying to the gods that someone would hear her.


	8. One: Inferno

All rights to Hiro Mashima

I would like to dedicate this chapter to ThatOneFriend-3 for all the lovely reviews! Thank you so much for putting the time in to let me know just what you think of the chapters I write!

* * *

~ **Part One: Inferno** ~

 _Noun: hell; the infernal regions_

* * *

They came out of nowhere.

Flashes of pink, pale gold, and ebony were all she could see. As the adrenaline started to wear off, Lucy's eyesight began to fade into almost complete darkness. She could hear someone speaking to her, but the voices were muffled like they were talking to her from underwater.

It was curious, but she was just so tired that she wanted to sleep. There was no energy left in her tiny body to answer back to the voices.

' _Papa would be proud of me; I showed those bastards that I wouldn't cave._ ' And she didn't. Lucy stood her ground until the end.

She still didn't cry, and she was proud of herself for that. So she let herself get swept up into the black. The last thing she felt was a warmth on her thigh. Her keys were still safe with her. For the time being.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

As soon as Natsu had heard the scream that chilled the very blood running through his veins – which is saying something, seeing as he has an inferno within his belly – he rushed outside without a second thought, calling to his 'brothers' on his way out. Never had he been so scared in his life.

Lucy had been surrounded by three disgusting men who clearly outclassed her in both weight and ability. Then he saw the guns. They weren't conventional weapons; they looked like something the Connels used when on jobs for Makarov. Natsu filed that information away for later and focused on the task before him.

He growled. Low in his chest, and it was echoed twice behind him. They saw the guns as well.

Instinct had taken them over completely, honing their senses and sharpening their thoughts to a single word.

' _Protect._ '

All three were on a single wavelength now. And each took a body down with scary precision. In the end, there was only a slightly swaying blonde woman, three unconscious males, a fourth male who was curled up into a little ball whimpering about 'rich bitches' and 'high heeled shoes' and a puddle of puke.

Lucy had then collapsed onto the ground, emotionally spent, and utterly exhausted.

Laxus – who was closest to her – didn't even attempt to go to her aid. Neither did Gajeel. They could smell the pheromones wafting of Natsu. She was claimed. She was his, and right now they left her to his care. He would be what she wanted and needed right at this moment.

So they settled in to try to figure out the mystery of just why these scum bags were trying to jump the woman in the middle of the night, As well as know why one of the four had already been on the ground when they got there.

"Lucy!? Ah shit…Lucy, can you hear me? Answer me babe!" Natsu was so flustered and absolutely _livid_ that someone would try to attack a dragon's treasure that the term of endearment just 'slipped out' of his mouth when he wasn't looking. It went unnoticed by him because he was more worried about the unconscious girl that he had scooped into his arms than what he said.

But it didn't get past the other two gigantic hulking men standing outside with him. They glanced at each other. Both Gajeel and Laxus had their 'one' and new that things would progress fast for both of them from here on out. The least they could do is to help their brother and figure out who would attack someone out in the open like that. It was reckless and stupid.

Gajeel hoisted the fetal mercenary onto his knees and got into his face. And then he smiled at the pathetic excuse for a man.

And there it was again. That clear threat, all shining teeth and sharp incisors that looked like they were designed to rip out someone's oesophagus. It also didn't help that a giant with blonde hair, striking stormy eyes and a lightning shaped scar was leering over Gajeel's left shoulder with the same maniacal grin on his face as well.

Also. Gajeel has red eyes that looked like the devil carved them out of stone and bathed then in the blood of the sinners of hell when he's angry. And he was angry. He might like a good fight once and a while, but he drew the line at vulnerable women, children, and the elderly. He's not sexist, not in the least, he knows that woman can fight and be just as badass as men. Titania still kicks his ass all over the place when they spar together.

It was a wonder that the whimpering man in front of them didn't defecate in his pants on the spot.

In a voice, dark and grumbling like an avalanche of stones and gravel, Gajeel asked one question. "Why the hell are you still whimpering like a little bitch?"

"Shut up! You would be too if that little girl had kicked in your nuts with her goddamn heels. I didn't expect it, and that's all. It's not like she caught me off-guard or something."

Laughter - that sounded suspiciously like booming thunder lit up the night. "Damn! Salamander, your girl has tenacity and guts. Look at those heels man. I can't believe that she even could kick someone with those death traps on." Laxus is impressed, and that usually only happens when the unusual occurs, and this is certainly unusual. "Well, that explains the whining man on the ground, and also the throw-up. You know what? I like her." Both Laxus and Gajeel did in fact, like her.

Natsu grins down at the slumbering angel in his arms. "Me too Laxus. She's amazing isn't she?"

Gajeel snorts derisively. "Okay. Enough with this shit. Take her home Salamander; she doesn't need to catch a cold like this, she's practically naked as it is. We'll ask these gentlemen just what they were after and let you know later."

Natsu nods absentmindedly. "She's coming back to my place. I'm bringing her back with me tomorrow night, and she has to talk to Gramps about something to do with her mom. Hit up my lacrima when you have the answers that we want."

"Let her know that she is welcome in the club at any time, day or night. She's a little spitfire man; we need more of those. I bet she would love to meet Gajeel's girl." With a nod of dismissal, Laxus grabs two of the unconscious men on the ground by the armpits and drags them unceremoniously towards the back alley behind Fairy Tail where Natsu knows the back entrance to the club is. Gajeel does the same with the next two, leaving Natsu with only a feral grin as a goodbye.

Natsu grabs her phone off the ground where she dropped it earlier, adjusts Lucy in his arms so that she's more comfortable and starts to make his way back to his apartment, mind whirling and spinning with questions that he doesn't have the answers for.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

She wakes up to an unfamiliar room. Deep green walls with white trim, wooden furniture and sage green comforter obscuring her body. Lucy doesn't recognise anything, but deep down she applauds the decorator. It's hard to match greens together.

So naturally she panics slightly. The last thing she could remember was the four men surrounding her. Then a flash of pink. Then voices. Then nothing.

' _Okay don't freak out too much. If they kidnapped you, then you need to stay calm. You are your father's daughter, and you will not crack under pressure._ ' It's a good mantra to repeat and keeps her sane in situations that are way over her head, which seems to be happening more and more lately.

Lucy's heart rate settled until she felt something shift over the covers of the bed she was lying on. Swiftly she looks down at the disturbance, readying herself to fight or flee. But it was nothing to be afraid of. It was just a small cat, practically a kitten.

But it was blue.

' _Why does that sound familiar? Blue cat? Who the hell has a blue cat?_ ' Then it hit her.

"Happy?"

He perks up at his name, ears flickering in recognition. Lucy sighs in relief. She hadn't noticed that she was starting to freak out again, but the warmth and weight of Happy laying sprawled in her lap is comforting, to say the least.

Happy bounds forward onto her chest and nuzzles his head on her cheek, purring away like a small lawn mower. And then he's gone again, running out cracked open door and down a dimly lit hallway.

The strange thing is, when Happy leaves, there is still a warm pressure pinning her to the bed. So she looks down yet again and sees an arm.

Strong. Muscular. Some scarring and very tanned.

Following said arm with her eyes, she sees a bare shoulder with a red tattoo then a neck with a large scar on it, then hair.

Pink hair.

Natsu.

She and Natsu were in bed.

Together.

Sleeping.

With his cat.

Obviously, Lucy had never been in a situation that came even remotely close to this, so she didn't know what to do. ' _Do I wake him up? Let him sleep? Slap him? Scream?_ ' The only option she liked out of all of them, was letting him sleep. They had a long night, especially her, and more sleep sounded nice right about now. She didn't feel like thinking about the attack, or the strange men. She had questions, but Lucy deemed them unimportant enough at the moment. She felt her keys on her thigh, still strapped by the garter that she had bought the day before, so everything important was still with her.

So she closed her eyes again, letting herself fade into the inky darkness of dreams, her breathing evening out until she was fast asleep once again.

As soon as he heard her fall back asleep. Natsu's eyes popped open, and he let out a large sigh of relief that he had been holding. His Lucy surprised him more and more. Not only did she feel comfortable enough to fall back asleep with his arm around her waist, but Happy genuinely seemed to like her. Also, he didn't get screamed at, which was a super bonus this early in the morning.

Natsu decided that he didn't want to move, he was too comfortable and warm, and she smelled sweet. Instead of waking up fully, he watched her sleep and dream. He hoped that she wouldn't have any nightmares from her experience last night.

When they had made it to his apartment last night, he had stripped her of her newly christened 'ball bashing' shoes and carried her off into his bedroom with Happy winding his way through his feet making it difficult for him to walk without tripping. When he laid her down on his bed, he took a moment to assess the next problem. Her dress. ' _Do I take it off? It looks amazing on her, but it can't be too comfortable to sleep in._ '

So he asked his cat. "Oi, Happy. What do I do? Should I take her dress off? Or should I leave it on? I want her to be comfortable, but I don't want her to kill me tomorrow." Happy just sat there on his desk chair showing no movement. "Well, you're just no help at all."

Making an executive decision – because she did look a little chilly – Natsu pulled off her dress leaving her in her silk and lace underwear and a singular garter banded around her thigh which held seven antique keys.

He couldn't think for a moment. The strap made her look like a complete badass, but the lace against her body was doing weird things to the size of his pants, constricting them around his aching arousal that hadn't settled down since they danced. He liked that she carried those keys around with her, they were important, and he could see the small silver one that he had got her for her birthday.

And then he had another problem because he didn't think this through and didn't know about the consequences of taking her dress off would be the fact that she would be left even more naked than she already was.

There was a lot of skin distracting him at the moment, but like any man, he took a quick moment to give her a once-over, to make sure she didn't sustain any injuries from her altercation with the men earlier of course.

Nope, everything seemed to be in order. Lots of smooth, silky, slightly tanned skin everywhere. ' _Crap! Put a shirt on her you idiot! If she woke up to you staring at her with a raging hard on she would kick you in the balls._ ' Throwing caution to the wind and praying to Mavis that she didn't wake up in the middle of what he was about to do, he helped her carefully into one of his oversized workout shirts – a clean one – making sure to stop at certain points along the way to make sure she was still asleep. He shucked out of his clothes and pulled on a pair of sweatpants, for modesties sake, and breathed deeply willing his heart and mind to slow the fuck down. He was about to sleep in bed with Lucy, his best friend and he was slightly freaking out about her reaction in the morning.

But Natsu decided that he would deal with it all in the morning because he was one hundred percent done with this day. At least Lucy was safe and by his side now.

With that heart attack waiting to happen out of the way, an exhausted Natsu and a curious Happy curled up around the golden girl in their bed and fell asleep quickly.

Now here he was, awake with a beautiful woman in his bed and not a worry in his heart at the moment. Natsu wanted to drink her features, how kissable her lips looked slightly parted, or how her hair framed her face like a halo on his ratty pillow. She brightened up his place, kind of like a beam of sunshine. Without conscious thought, Natsu reached out and gently brushed his fingertips across one of her cheek bones, delighting in the feel of her skin against his.

Natsu felt a bit like a weirdo at that moment but shrugged it off. No one but himself would know. Glancing at his alarm clock and seeing it was ten after nine in the morning, Natsu closed his eyes willing himself to go back to sleep again. So he did, listening to the sound of Lucy's heartbeat, strong and steady.


	9. One: Flare

All rights to Hiro Mashima

I felt that the previous chapter was a little on the short side, so here is another one to make up for it.

* * *

~ **Part One: Flare** ~

 _verb: to blaze with a sudden burst of flame_

* * *

It was around eleven in the morning when Natsu awoke for the second time. He had been in a wonderful dream, everything was bright and shining and the world was fucking perfect for once. Then he was slammed into the waking world when his olfactory senses twitched at the smell of bacon.

' _What the hell…I didn't buy bacon at the store last time I was out._ '

What Natsu was actually smelling was the cooking expertise of his impromptu guest, Lucy. She had abruptly woken up when a spastic Happy bounded over her stomach meowing loudly for food. So she had shuffled out of bed, bleary eyed and only half awake to riffle through Natsu's appallingly low stocked kitchen cupboards, finally settling for some tuna for the cat.

Happy was happy. So Lucy was happy.

Nature called at that moment and she stumbled around Natsu's apartment looking for the correct door that held the bathroom. While washing her hands in the sink, Lucy finally took in her appearance for the first time that morning. Hair was a bit of a rat's nest and her makeup from last night needed to be removed, but what had her pausing in shock, was the fact that she was wearing something that she had no memory of owning. ' _What the hell…?_ ' She assumed that Happy hadn't been the one to change her so that left only one other person.

Natsu had undressed her. He had seen her practically naked. After these thoughts, her brain short circuited for a moment, but restarted again when she weighed this problem in the grand scheme of things, and decided to just talk to him later about it. No use flipping out like a child when she could have a calm, rational, grown up discussion about it. She also wondered if Natsu liked looking at her body like that. She could only hope.

Cheeks flushing in embarrassment over her errant thoughts, she washed the makeup off her face and stepped out of the bathroom to try to satiate her grumbling stomach. The last thing she ate was that cookie when she was out with Gray yesterday and her body demanded sustenance.

But he had nothing. His fridge was bare, with only the essentials like cream and condiments. There was only canned food in the cupboards. She huffed. This was not what she wanted. She wanted bacon and eggs and pancakes with ridiculous amounts of syrup and butter. And strawberries.

Lots and lots of strawberries. Looking down at the shirt that Natsu had put her in, she noticed that it was not appropriate to go to the store in.

Tip toeing into his bedroom again, she goes to his closest finding at black dress shirt and a brown belt. Throwing the shirt on and doing the belt up under her bust, she had made a quick and easy dress. It would have to do for the time being.

At this point Lucy had a mild panic about her purse, but remembered after searching for five minutes that she had left it with Cana behind the bar at Fairy Tail. ' _Well…at least it's safe._ ' She spied a twenty on the kitchen table and snatched it up, mentally writing an IOU to Natsu for the money she was going to use. Hopefully he wouldn't get annoyed at her forwardness.

She came to another road block. Her goddamn shoes were the gold kick ass pumps that she had been wearing. Everything else was stashed in her black hole of a purse behind that bar. ' _It could be worse._ ' She could have no shoes at all and been forced to wear some of Natsu's.

She combed through her hair, praying to the gods that it was lying flat around her face with no awkward cowlicks anywhere, donned the heels and slipped out the front door.

Twenty minutes later with two bags of groceries, Lucy breezed through Natsu's door yet again, ready to start on an epic breakfast for her best friend and his cat companion.

She started with the bacon, which is ultimately what roused Natsu from his coma like state of snoring and drooling into his pillow.

Natsu sat up blearily on his bed and yawned wildly cracking his back for good measure. Looking around the room he spots Lucy's discarded black dress on his computer chair and everything rushes back to him. Spinning around and finding an empty and cold spot next to him, panic tears through his chest like a knife. ' _Where is she? Did those men come for her again!? Why didn't she wake me up?'_

But that smell of bacon comes back to him, now with a hint of freshly brewed coffee. Knowing that even though Happy is an amazing cat, he would never figure out how to work that demon coffee machine, it must have been Lucy.

Natsu strides into his kitchen – living room area and watches Lucy work on a delicious smelling breakfast from behind, not wishing to startle her out her reverie, or stop her from humming that cute little tune. He notices for the first time what she is wearing, and his chest rumbles in satisfaction. Somewhere between a purr and a growl. Those are his clothes. She's covered in his scent now and he likes it, more than he should.

Grinning like the idiot that he is, he greets her. "Good morning Lucy."

His timing leaves something to be desired, as Lucy was flipping a golden brown pancake onto a plate of completed ones, she squeaked when he spoke and missed the plate entirely. The pancake wound up on the floor with both Natsu and Lucy staring at it until Happy shot out from under the kitchen table, snatching up said ruined pancake and bolting down the hallway.

"Uhm…Good morning to you to Natsu. I didn't know that cats liked pancakes. I had some fish for Happy in the fridge but I guess that can wait for later."

Chuckling to himself, Natsu agreed with her. "I didn't know he liked pancakes either, truthfully, I don't even know if I like them. I've never had one before."

If he knew that Lucy would look so scandalized at his admission, he might never have told her about the pancake thing.

"Shit Natsu, have you been living under a rock? Even I know what a pancake is." She gestures to the coffee mugs on the counter. "I made some coffee, but I didn't know how much cream or sugar you took so I just left it black for now. Also, I hate your coffee maker. It's like it has the devil living inside of it."

"I know. I don't usually make it here, I get it from campus when I go, or from work." Dumping a healthy amount of both cream and sugar in his cup, Natsu slurps down the beverage. "Thanks Luce, this is fantastic to wake up to. I was a little worried when you weren't there beside me, but I'm glad you're making this. I can't tell you the last time I something for breakfast that wasn't in energy bar form."

Grasping the spatula that she was using to stir the eggs in the frying pan with like a magic wand, Lucy points at his chest with a gleam in her eye. "You have to take better care of yourself Natsu! I told you that last time when you complained that you had no energy throughout the day, falling asleep in your later classes. Breakfast is the most important meal after all!"

He loves that Lucy fusses over him, even with her scolding him about his eating habits, he can't help but feel the tiniest bit happy that she is so passionate about things. "You know, I was probably falling asleep because those classes are really boring Luce." At her sharp glance he acquiesces.

"Alright, Luce. Look, I'll agree to eat breakfast from now on if you tell me what those men where after last night."

Her shoulders slump at the thought of those dirty men with their grabby hands and weird looking guns. "Okay. It's all finished anyways, so dish up and I'll tell you everything I know, from the beginning."

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"They were after your keys?" Natsu fingers the gold one with the sign of Aquarius on the top, empty dishes sitting beside them on the table, forgotten for the moment in light of more pressing issues. He did notice that Lucy ate an ungodly amount of strawberries on top of her pancakes. Maybe he should try those next time she makes those pillows of deliciousness?

"Yes, that's what they said. They also knew my name, where to find me, and the fact that I had those keys on me."

Natsu eyes her warily. "What do you mean they knew your name?"

"I mean that they knew my name. My full name. Lucy…Heartfilia." She looks down at her lap as she says the words that she had been dreading from the moment that she started talking to him all those months ago. But Natsu surprises her yet again.

"Oh! You live on Star Hill then. That's cool. My pops told me once that that hill was the best place around Magnolia to see the stars. You must love it up there." His eyes seem wistful at the thought of his father Igneel.

Lucy's smile lights up her whole face at the mention of her constellation friends. "Oh, yes I love it. But it's lonely in that big empty house. I only have Sora and Yuki for company, and my stars of course. It's not enough though."

"Don't worry Luce, you have me now, and Happy too. You won't have any time to be lonely ever again. We'll be having too much fun going on adventures together." It was his turn to have his smile grace his features. Lucy was sure that he couldn't get more handsome than he was in that moment, his child like exuberance shining through.

Her eyes teared up at his heart felt statement and nodded. "That sounds amazing Natsu. I can't wait to get started."

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

Natsu was singing her praises about the food she made and Happy was a lump on the sofa, sleeping off the effects of the food coma he ate himself into. Who knew that a whole pancake would be too much for one cat?

Lucy was happy that Natsu didn't treat her any differently after he learned her full name. She was also quite ecstatic that she was able to look at Natsu's drool worthy bare chest for as long as she wanted this morning, seeing as he didn't put on a shirt until Lucy mentioned that she wanted to go out.

Natsu noticed her looking at him, and he couldn't help feel a sense of smug pride in his appearance. If she liked the way he looked, he wouldn't be averse to having some of that popsicle prick's stripping habits rub off on him if it made Lucy look at him with need gleaming in her eyes. He was definitely fine with that. But only for her, he didn't need to accidentally walk around in the nude like Gray at weird moments of the day. Her eyes on him made all these new feelings flare up inside of him and he knew that she was feeling something as well. He could see it in her eyes, and the way they raked over his uncovered chest and down towards his hips.

His ego got a huge boost today because of her.

Her long legs that were barely covered by his shirt were keeping him perpetually half hard all morning and also wreaking havoc on his blood pressure as well. Every time she bent over, he was straining against his wild side to just go up to her and rub his hands all over her supple behind.

So it was a two sided problem. Both sides didn't mind the other taking a quick peek or two, or more.

They decided to walk around town a bit after brunch, seeing as Lucy needed something to wear to the club tonight and she couldn't go in the dress that she wore already. And she couldn't go in what she was already wearing seeing as it was a man's shirt. After Natsu asked her why she wanted to wear something other than his shirt to the club, seeing as she looked good in his clothes, Lucy remembered something that she wanted to talk to him about. Something rather important.

"Natsu, what exactly was I wearing when I woke up this morning?"

He started to sweat. He knew that tone, Mira used it when she was trying to wheedle juicy gossip from unsuspecting patrons at Fairy Tail. Sickly sweet with a sharp undertone that promises danger should the answer be incorrect or unsatisfactory.

"Uhm…One of my shirts. You looked uncomfortable and cold and exhausted, I didn't want to wake you up, and so I changed what you were wearing. But I left you keys with you! I know those are important and all."

Lucy looked him in the eyes, trying to discern some ulterior motive for his actions of undressing her. Finding no deception in his eyes. She sniffed derisively and nodded once. "Alright, I understand. Thanks for caring for me Natsu. That means a lot to me that you would think about something like that."

Well, that wasn't the reaction he thought she would have. So he rolled with his good luck and thanked his lucky stars that Lucy was one of a kind. "Yah, no problem Lucy. Anything for you."

She blushed prettily at that comment and smiled back at him. "I need to get my purse from behind the bar, I gave it to Cana last night to hold for me so I could dance. Is there any way I could get that back, I need my money to buy the dress."

"Of course, us regulars are always welcome there at all times of the day. It's like our first home, even if we all sleep somewhere else." Natsu grabs her hand and leads her down another street towards his favourite place in the world.


	10. One: Spark

All rights to Hiro Mashima

I would like to dedicate this chapter to **DIGIKO12** for all the amazing reviews. I'm glad that I made your morning and I hope that you enjoy this next chapter.

BEWARE: Crack ships abound!

* * *

~ **Part One: Spark** ~

 _Noun: an ignited or fiery particle such as is thrown off by burning or produced by one hard body striking another_

* * *

"We made it back alive!" With a rousing chant, Natsu kicked in the back door of the club and stomped right up to a clearly hung over Gray nursing a drink at the bar without a second glance behind him. He knew that Lucy would be okay here with this family, she was safe for the time being. He had other problems on his hands at the moment, like Gray, for example, the man who wanted to _know_ his Lucy in every sense of the word.

It was a teensy bit disenchanting for Lucy to see Fairy Tail in the light of day. As with anything that operates exclusively at night, the daytime version is slightly banal and dare she say…dingy.

But it had character.

Where most clubs were chrome and black with accents of bright colours, Fairy Tail looked exactly like an old style tavern straight out of Dublin in the early days. This decorating style was most likely left over from when the founder emigrated to Magnolia all those years ago. Lucy could tell that the walls held countless stories, and she was happy to say that she might even like the place better now than she did last night.

"Dammit, Natsu! We just fixed the lock on the back door yesterday! You're paying for it this time you idiot. You ever hear of knocking?" A large man with white hair rubs his hand over his face, maybe because he had to replace that damn lock every third day, but more likely because he knew that Natsu would never stop acting like an excited child.

Even though it was around one in the afternoon, the club was packed full of people. Lucy assumed that these were the regulars that Natsu was talking about. They looked fascinating, and Lucy couldn't wait to meet them all properly.

However, at the moment, they were all silent and staring directly at her, some with funny looks on their faces and others in weird frozen poses.

Lucy gave a small wave to everyone and cleared her throat. "Uh...hi. I'm Lucy."

"Oh! Lucy! You're back, thank goodness. I had no idea where you lived or what your phone number was so I couldn't call you about your purse." Mira looked as lovely as ever and strode up to Lucy with a delicate grace that Lucy knew she would never be able to replicate no matter how many dance lessons she took.

"Thank you so much, Mira! I panicked this morning for a little while but remembered that I had left it here. Natsu was kind enough to bring me back so I could get it." Mira led Lucy back towards the bar and slapped a glass of water in front of her when she sat down on a stool beside Gray.

"Hey, Gray! Nice to see you again. How's your hand doing?" Gray, who had a whopper of a headache and was slightly nauseous at the moment gave Lucy a slightly pained smile and chuckled.

"Hands fine Lucy. Thanks for patching me up yesterday." Gray couldn't help but take in what she was wearing as Lucy stood up and switched the heels she was wearing for her more practical sandals she had stored in her purse for just such an occasion. A man's shirt – most likely Natsu's – and a belt. It was a refined 'morning after' attire that looked delicious on her. Half-formed fantasies grew in Gray's head about how it would feel to wake up next to a woman like Lucy. He just couldn't stop looking at her.

Granted he didn't actually try. Just because that flaming turd deemed her 'his property' didn't mean that he owned her like an object. He could sneak a peek if he wanted to. But only if he was stealthy.

Gray didn't choose to notice how long her legs were, or the fact that her hair was shining like a river of gold. It just happened. He might have been staring at her breasts for just a little too long because he could practically feel Natsu's burning glare on the back of his skull like twin laser beams. He wouldn't be surprised if his hair suddenly caught on fire from the intensity of Natsu's gaze.

Even though Gray thought he was under the radar with his sidelong glances and such, he didn't count on the fact that Natsu could _smell_ just how turned on Gray was in Lucy's presence. Huffing slightly, Natsu decided to remove his Lucy from Gray, instead of detaching Gray's throat from his body. Mira had a lot of work cut out for herself cleaning the club, she didn't need a bunch of blood on everything as well.

"Luce, come here and meet some people." Natsu held out his hand with a grumpy look on his face and beckoned Lucy to join him further down the bar where people were sitting. Gray saw the smile she gave Natsu. It lit up her face like the sun and the way she tucked herself under his arm as if that space was made just for her. The rational centre of Gray's brain knew that he didn't have a snowball's chance in hell with her now, but another part of him screamed that he was the 'IceKing'. Snow and ice were his specialty.

"Cana, this is Lucy, you may have talked to her last night. Lucy this is Cana, the second bartender and Mira's girlfriend." Natsu waved his hand at a brunette with lovely violet eyes, wearing a bikini top and khakis.

"Nice to meet you formally Cana. Thanks for taking such good care of my purse last night. I ended up tearing apart Natsu's bedroom this morning before remembering that I had given it to you."

At this admission, Cana choked on her drink and spluttered half-formed incoherent sentences. Mira, who was standing nearby stocking shelves with liquor, patted her gently on the back until Cana stopped hacking her lungs up. When Cana spoke, Lucy could tell that she was already three sheets to the wind, but decided that she needed to get to know Cana more before telling her how to live her life. No one else looked bothered by her drunken slurs so she would roll with it.

A lecherous grin adorned her otherwise beautiful face. "You stayed with Natsu last night? So tell me…was he any good?" Mira tried to look like she wasn't eavesdropping on their conversation, but she was failing miserably, seeing as she had a bottle of whisky half way onto a shelf but had stopped moving altogether.

Lucy knew that Cana's question was about Natsu's performance between the sheets. Natsu also knew this. But both were frozen with wide-eyed expressions on their faces, unable to quite comprehend the situation at the moment. Luckily Lucy came up with a half way decent answer first before Natsu could start stuttering. "Oh, he was the perfect gentleman. He let me have his bed while he slept on his couch."

Incredulous, Cana peered over her tankard of honey ale at the two blatant liars in front of her, trying to call their bluff. Lucy was only wearing a man's dress shirt for Mavis' sake. Who were they trying to kid? "You sure about that sweet cheeks? Nothing happened at all last night?"

Saving them from answering, Gray scoffed loudly behind them. "Come on Cana, you should know better than that. Natsu wouldn't know what to do with a woman even if she was in his bed completely naked."

Lucy's face was swallowed up by a pink blush as she thought about just how accurate that statement was, while Natsu growled at Gray. "Shut the fuck up you stupid stripper. At least I would treat a woman with respect and not the way that you do. Who was that girl you went home with last night? I bet you can't even remember her name!" It was one thing to insult Natsu on a daily basis, but to insinuate that Natsu didn't know who to use his 'equipment' properly was going too far apparently.

Like all other arguments between Natsu and Gray, it eventually went beyond throwing petty insults back and forth like five-year-olds. This fight, because it was damaging Natsu's pride and also because he had some underlying sexual tension left over from last night that he needed to work out, dissolved quickly into an all-out brawl on the dirty floor.

"Shouldn't we stop them?" Lucy was new to the whole bar scene, but even she knew that fighting wasn't necessarily allowed.

Mira just tittered behind her hand. "Oh. No. They do this so often it's just easier to leave them be. They'll stop soon enough."

To pass the time waiting for Natsu to stop pummeling Gray's head into the ground, Lucy decided to take herself on a tour to meet some of Natsu's other friends.

The most notable of the people she met were two who looked very much alike even though one stood at least four heads taller than the other. Elfman, Mira's younger brother and the bouncer here at Fairy Tail, was the classic manly man who had serious sideburns and looked like he could bench press a small house. The second was Lisanna, Mira's younger sister, who had the most striking blue eyes Lucy had ever seen and talked in a soft but confident tone that instantly put everyone around her at ease.

As Lucy was explaining to Lisanna the outline of her book about the Zodiac, Natsu ambled over towards them and threw his arm over Lucy's shoulder tucking her into his side and giving her a quick but heartfelt squeeze. "Hey, Lis! Glad you're showing Luce the ropes around here, I kind of got sidetracked when I needed to teach that Ice Princess some manners."

Lisanna laughed in a way that sounded slightly reminiscent of Mira shaking her head at Natsu in mock anger. "Natsu, you know you should never leave a lady alone in a place like this! You never know what would happen to her."

Lucy knew with her whole heart – even though she had only spent a couple of hours with these people in this bar slash club – that she would always be safe no matter what here. She could feel the positive energy and comradery wafting off this makeshift family in tangible waves.

Natsu though felt like an idiot. He shouldn't have fallen for Gray's bait and left Lucy's side after what happened last night right in front of Fairy Tail. "Damn, sorry Luce. That popsicle is just so good at riling me up I forgot that I said I would introduce you to people."

Lucy smiled and patted his arm in a comforting manner. "Don't think about it too much. I enjoyed looking around for myself. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming, I didn't mind introducing myself, and I have done it before you know." She made sure to keep her tone light and teasing so that Natsu would know that she held no ill will for him and his friends. She actually did love it here.

"Thanks Luce. You're the best you know? Why don't we get out of here and grab a snack? I'm starving!" They both waved goodbye to everyone and walked towards the exit.

Mira peered down at her lover from behind the bar counter. "Did you see that Cana?! Looks like Natsu's finally found her in the flesh!"

Cana just nodded, completely engrossed in her thoughts about the two new love birds and the fact that Gray looked like he was in physical pain when they were together. ' _How interesting. My cards didn't say anything about a good old fashioned love triangle…_ '

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

One smoothie bar, three clothing boutiques, and a shoe store later and Natsu was standing outside kicking his heels against the pavement while waiting for Lucy to finish up the grocery shopping for their dinner tonight. She didn't want him peeking at what she was going to make for them saying that it was a way to repay him for saving her yesterday. Natsu had waved her off at first, but he found that she was surprisingly stubborn and was entirely convinced once he thought about the pancakes she made when he had woken up this morning. They were like little pillows of heaven, and he silently wondered what else she could make.

To pass the time, Natsu wandered down past a couple shops looking at the wares that were being shown off in the windows. He strolled past a few clothing stores that sandwiched a high-end jewellery place in between.

Something pinged in the back of his brain.

Never one to go against his instincts, Natsu backtracked until he was standing outside that small jewellery store, disbelief and shock warring on his usually calm face. He couldn't believe his luck. Lucy definitely needed to see this.

As if conjured by the thought of her name, Lucy tapped Natsu on his shoulder causing him to flinch. "Natsu, what are you looking at so intensely?"

All he could do was point at a shining golden key nestled on a white satin cushion displayed in between pendants made of amber and gold.

Lucy sucked in a short breath. "Oh Gods, it's Virgo's key! And it's made in the same style as the ones that I already own. Natsu…I have to go in there and check it out. See if it's for sale. What even is this place, I've never seen it before."

They both looked up at the tacky awning overhead that held an overly complicated stylised script that read 'Duke Everlue's Gold Emporium.'

"Wait, Duke Everlue? As in the Everlue that owns half of Magnolia's skyscrapers? What is he doing with this tiny jewellery store?" Lucy bypassed answering Natsu's question in favour of going straight to the source. Mainly, the stoic, blank-faced employee behind the counter. She had short cropped magenta hair and stunningly electric blue eyes. She was dressed in a black pantsuit with a white shirt adorned with small ruffles. The overall effect was one of professionalism, although it wouldn't hurt if she would smile at them.

The employee bowed low behind the counter. "Welcome, sir and madam. How may I be of service to you today?"

Jumping over the pleasantries that he was sure Lucy would have been obliged to take part in, Natsu decided on a course of action. Which was blurting out the question over top of Lucy trying to say hello. "How much for that key in the window? The one with the sign of Virgo on it?"

If Lucy and Natsu had known the mystery employee standing before them a little more, they would have seen the almost imperceptible widening of her eyes in surprise. She knew that not just anyone would see the actual key there, more often than not, the illusion of a delicate gold and ruby necklace was sustained in its place. Duke Everlue liked to show off what he owned to the 'little people' of Magnolia, even if most of them were fooled into thinking that it was something else. It's the principle of the thing of course.

"I am terribly sorry, but that is a piece that is very cherished by Master Everlue. It is not for sale." Even though the employee didn't sound all that sorry, she really was. These people before her seemed kind and infinitely nicer than the Duke.

Lucy's face fell. "Crap, I really wish that it was for sale. I wanted to gather all the gold keys up in that particular collection so that it could be with all its friends." Lucy reached under the shirt – dress she was wearing and unhooked the key ring from the garter belt that she had not taken off since yesterday. The keys were all warm and tingly, and Lucy could feel a sense of happiness radiate off of them like they knew they were in the presence of another key. They jingled lightly when she set them on the counter.

The employee bowed low again uttering a small 'sorry' while admiring the ring. ' _So many gold ones. And she calls them friends? I don't really want to tell the Master about her, but I have my orders_.'

Lucy, looking crestfallen, took out a scrap piece of paper from her purse and wrote her name and phone number down. "Please contact this number if Mr Everlue ever decides to part with that key, I would cherish it forever. Thank you so much, have a nice day."

And then they were gone. The woman behind the counter twiddled the small slip of paper between two fingers while observing the couple walk down the street, turn a corner and disappear from sight.

She picked up the phone once she couldn't see them anymore and called a number she knew off by heart. Even if her morals were screaming at her to shred the number in her hand and forget the nice blonde girl and her smiling companion, she was honour bond. It wasn't her choice anymore, it was out of her hands.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

Lucy's depressed mood at finding another golden key, but not being able to physically have it lasted until Natsu and she got back into his apartment with all their shopping. As if sensing her distress, Happy rubbed and purred his little heart out in an attempt to soothe her feelings.

It worked quite well. Lucy felt better from the attention, Happy got a good scratch behind the ears, and Natsu got to see Lucy interact with his little buddy that made his heart swell with good feelings.

So it was a win-win-win situation, and everyone involved felt ultimately better than they had a scant two minutes ago.

Lucy clapped her hands with unrestrained joy in her eyes. "Alright, Natsu! Out of the kitchen! I want to make a surprise for you and Happy, and you can't see it until it's ready to eat, so go shower or get ready for tonight or destroy zombies on your Xbox or something."

Natsu gave her a quick one-armed hug, wished her luck with the dinner, and ran off into his bedroom already fantasising about stripping Gray of his better kill-death ratio.

Two hours and forty-five minutes later, a clean shaven and showered Natsu – having beaten Gray in the game and in real life today – sat on his bed giving Happy a well-deserved tummy rub while wondering what in the god's names could smell so damn delicious. He was so antsy and extremely hungry. He didn't mind being sequestered in his room for most of the afternoon with only his computer for company, but the fact that he couldn't watch Lucy while she cooked killed him a little on the inside. She was so graceful that she made every move she took between tasks look like a dance. She also hummed, which was adorable. But it let Natsu know that she was happy and centred on her work, shutting out the rest of the world for a while and just _being_.

A knock on the door signalled the long and arduous wait was finally over. Lucy popped her head through the now open door and smiled at the scene of Natsu laying on his bed with a curled up Happy on his stomach. "It's all finished! Wash up and then go sit."

Natsu took his seat at his kitchen table, setting Happy on one corner, and propped his head in one of his hands. "What did you make Luce? It smelled so good all afternoon I had to restrain myself from coming out here and devouring everything I saw." '… _Including you._ ' Natsu wished he had the balls to tack that thought on at the end of his sentence, but he didn't know if being so forward with her would win him any points.

"Well, we have baked potatoes with all the toppings, oven roasted vegetables, and marinated steak. The reason it took so long was the marinade had to sit for at least an hour, but it gave me time to make the dessert." Lucy pointed to a plate that held a magnificent looking cake dripping with whip cream and mounds of strawberries.

Natsu was starting to sense a theme from Lucy. A strawberry looking theme.

He was drooling, he was sure of it. All of this smelled as good as Mira's cooking, but he knew that it would taste infinitely better because Lucy made it. "Thanks, Luce." And that was the last thing he said until both his first and second helpings were finished. He watched Happy rip into a mackerel that Lucy had got for him and hummed in contentment. This was the life. A Beautiful woman across from him, an exciting family, delicious food in his belly, Natsu couldn't ask for more.

Until he tried the cake and then he was sure that he had died and gone to dessert heaven. Forget pancakes, he would rather have this for breakfast any day. He should really tell Erza about this cake.

"Did I kill you? You look a little dead…" Lucy was a touch worried about Natsu, his eyes were all glazed over like he was in the biggest food coma she had ever seen. Serves him right with the three helpings of cake he ate. Truthfully she didn't know where he put it all if this is how he usually ate.

"No, I'm fine. No, I'm better than fine. I'm fan-fucking-tastic. That was the best damn dinner that I have ever eaten Lucy. I'm serious!" Lucy blushed at his praise and then tried to start on the dishes from their meal.

"Oi, enough of that. Go get ready for tonight, I'll do the dishes seeing as you cooked. Deal?"

She nodded, happy to have the chance to have a shower and change into some new clothes. "Thanks, Natsu, oh…is there any way I can check my email and such? I haven't been at a computer since yesterday morning."

"Yah, go ahead and use mine in the bedroom, just remember to log out when you're done. Wouldn't want anyone to mess around with your account, now would we?" Natsu wiggled his soapy fingers at Lucy, flicking drops of water at her. There was a playful spark in his eyes that shouted that he wanted to play with her. But they really didn't have time if she wanted to make it to Fairy Tail to talk to Makarov on time.

She bats his hands away squealing like a little girl and then zoomed into the bathroom to escape Natsu and his immature ways leaving him alone in the kitchen with a mound of dirty dishes and Happy as company.

"What do you think little buddy? Should we keep her? She is a bit weird." Natsu glanced at the closed bathroom door once more and smiled. "Aye, I think we should."


	11. One: Heat

All rights to Hiro Mashima

* * *

~ **Part One: Heat** ~

 _Verb: to excite emotionally; inflame or rouse with passion_

* * *

"Hurry up Natsu! We're going to be late!"

After Lucy had taken an extreme amount of time on her hair and makeup and then dressed in a floaty high-low dress that sparkled like the night sky, she had all but shoved Natsu out the door. She didn't bother to grab her purse this time; she had all she needed strapped to her thigh and some extra Jewels crammed down her bra if they called a taxi later in the evening.

Natsu had barely caught a glimpse of her as she whisked him away into the dimming twilight, and what he did see was turning his brain into a gigantic pile of mush. ' _How can she look so good in everything? What the hell? I won't be able to function at all is she keeps swaying her hips like that._ '

Oblivious to Natsu's inner turmoil, Lucy can hardly breathe as she strides with purpose towards her new found haven.

Fairy Tail.

Just the name of that club sets her insides on fire, and she wonders what adventures she might have tonight. ' _More dancing? Should I even drink? I didn't put on heels today, so I won't fall over if I get drunk._ ' After yesterday's excitement, Lucy thought that a pair of silver gladiator sandals would be more useful in a fight than platform heels. Just in case. A soft ding disrupts her thought process, and it takes a minute for the sound to filter into her brain.

She had received a text. It had been so long since someone wanted to talk to her – other than her sisters of course – that she almost didn't recognise it as her phone. Grabbing her phone and the note from her mother from the garter belt, Lucy expertly unlocked it with one hand while keeping the other firmly locked on Natsu's much larger, warmer one. It might have looked romantic, like two lovers out for a night time stroll, holding hands and all, if not for the fact that Lucy was all but dragging Natsu down the street with a surprising amount of strength.

 _Gray_ : Hey Lucy, are you coming to Fairy Tail tonight?

 _Lucy_ : Of course! I have to talk to the owner about something. Natsu and I are on our way now.

Lucy shot of a quick text to Gray, smiling brightly about the fact that she had another friend who was looking forward to seeing her, and she was looking forward to talking to him as well. He had become like the brother she never had, and Lucy relished in the feeling of family.

Natsu watched Lucy type quickly with one hand then lock her phone again. "Who was that? Your sisters?"

"Oh. No, it was Gray. He was wondering if we were coming to the club tonight. I guess he wasn't listening when we told everyone we would be back to talk to Makarov." She laughed lightly while shaking her head. Lucy was about to strap her phone back on her thigh when she had a much better idea. ' _This way I won't be flashing everyone all the time._ '

"Natsu, would you put my phone and the letter from my mother in your pocket? I don't want to show everyone my underwear every time I get a call or a text." Absentmindedly, Natsu nodded at her request and slipped the objects into his pants pocket. He was still thinking about the text from Gray. Surely that snow queen wasn't trying to flirt with Lucy, right? Whatever, he had other things to think about, like the gorgeous girl pulling him through Magnolia or the upcoming meeting with the Master.

They arrived at Fairy Tail a little after nine and watched as the line outside the doors grew exponentially every minute that they stood there. Lucy was slightly apprehensive about waiting for so long outside after last night's attack. But, she knew Natsu was beside her, and no one would be stupid enough to try the same thing twice with all the witnesses around.

She needn't have worried, though. Natsu bypassed the waiting line and walked right up to the large man at the doors that she now recognised as Elfman. "Evening Lucy, Natsu. Go right in. It's packed tonight. Mira wants to see you both at the bar before you talk to the old man."

"Thanks, Elfman! Have fun out here tonight!" Lucy and Natsu walked right through the doors amid grumbles and whines from the people stuck in the line.

"You won't have to worry about the line ever again Luce, Mira and Elfman know you now, so you're family to them already." He smiled at the happy girl beside him. He was aware that what Lucy was thinking, and he couldn't be any more ecstatic that she had finally found another family that would love her just as her old one had before things had gone sideways for her. "Come on Luce. Let's go see Mira."

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"Yo Mira! What did you want to talk to us about?" Both Natsu and Lucy jumped up onto the bar stools in front of a brightly grinning Mirajane after they had navigated the swathes of people that were already drinking and dancing all around them.

"Hello, you two! I just wanted to see you guys again before you went in to talk to Makarov and start you off with a drink on the house to get your night going." Mira's smile dipped slightly into the realm of deviousness when she saw the look that Natsu was giving Lucy when Lucy wasn't looking at him. It was the look that she often found on her face when thinking about Cana. Adoration, pride, and overwhelming happiness. ' _Well, I guess that just about seals it. She's his for sure. Just to be positive I should really talk to Laxus about all this. Natsu is his kin after all._ '

Lucy giggled as Natsu slung his warm arm over her shoulders, letting his hand rub soothing circles on the exposed skin of her arm. "Thanks a lot, Mira. I'll have a 'Black Hole' please." Lucy had a little bit of a weakness for the bittersweet taste of Sambuca. She wasn't the traditional girly girl while choosing her liquor. It was probably because there was an abundance of non-traditional drinks in the Heartfilia household from her father's many expeditions into exotic new places over the years. Jude would always allow Lucy a tiny sip if she asked for it. More often than not, it was gross to ten years old, while sometimes it tasted good. Like expensive rum with hints of coconut and the ocean air, or Sambuca that felt like it came straight from the winding canals of Italy.

Natsu was impressed at Lucy's selection. The name seemed fitting enough to her personality while he knew that the liquorice taste of the alcohol would be sweet yet hold something darker just under the surface. It was essentially an analogy of Lucy, and he grinned thinking out it. "I'll have a cinnamon whisky, Mira. Make it a double."

With a flourish and a parting wink, Mira gives both of them their orders and waves towards a door to the side with the word 'Manager' printed on it in big brass letters. "You can knock and go in at any time; Makarov knows you're coming so don't hesitate. Let me know how it works after you're done!" She swiftly walks off to help her partner down the bar with a rowdy crowd of college students, intent on making sure that they were doing their tequila shots correctly.

"So what do you think Luce? Ready to talk to the old geezer?"

Lucy nods and flashes a small nervous smile. "You'll come with me, right? I know I shouldn't be anxious, but I've never met anyone from my mother's life before. It's a bit nerve-wracking."

"Of course Lucy. If you want me there, I'll be there. No worries. Now let's go before Bickslow starts his set for the night, we don't want to miss that."

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

Lucy's first impressions of Makarov Dreyer were only two thoughts.

He was tiny.

And he looked wise beyond his years like his eyes held all the answers of the cosmos.

Lucy was instantly put at ease with the smile the short man gave her and smiled wistfully when he said, "You look just like your mother, child. I know that she would be proud of you."

Natsu decided to take a back seat for this conversation; he was only here really for moral support if Lucy needed him. This talk was between her and the Master.

"Mr Dreyer, I received a letter from my mother on my twenty-first birthday I would like you to read it and then I have a couple of questions for you if that's okay."

"Please Lucy, call me Master or gramps. Everything else is too formal, and I think of all of my brats as my kids anyways." Not waiting for Lucy's answer, Makarov unfolded the proffered letter and set to reading it as quickly as possible.

Then he read it twice more to soak up all the information and glanced up towards Lucy with a look of sadness and understanding. "I understand the situation now my child. What are your questions?"

"I only have two at the moment…no, wait, three questions. My first is how did you know my mother?"

"Well, I met her years ago when she was working at 'Love and Lucky'. That's where she met your father Jude, and then they moved off to start the business and became the owners of the largest transportation conglomerate in Fiore. I was so proud of her work and the mark that she made on the world. I didn't see her much after she had you, she was much too busy being an amazing mother and teaching you about the stars I presume. The illness came as a shock to all of us, and I didn't know about it until after she had passed. Lucy…your mother was very happy, and she was also very proud of everything that she had accomplished in life. She left with no regrets, except perhaps watching you grow up."

Silent but happy tears were making their way down Lucy's smiling face. "Thank you, Master. I love her very much. She's still watching over me, though. I can feel it." After wiping her face slowly, Lucy asks her second question. "What does Natsu's tattoo mean? I thought it was a tribal marking at first, but I've seen Gray's as well as Bickslow's and Elfman's, so I assume that it has something to do with Fairy Tail."

A smirk crosses Makarov's face quickly, only being seen for a second before it was gone. ' _She's just as smart and perceptive as Layla. And the fact that she can see the markings clinches it._ ' Makarov also noticed Natsu looking at the back of Lucy's head incredulously, as if he was surprised by what she said. Apparently, Lucy had never asked Natsu about the tattoo that was housed on his bicep. "That, my dear, is the mark specifically designed for Fairy Tail by our founder Mavis Vermillion. Many of my children have them."

"Alright, my last question is, do you know anything about these?" Lucy reached down and detached her key ring and laid it on the desk in front of her. "I was given these a few days ago, the note from my mother was attached."

Makarov was absolutely astonished. Lucy had walked into his club with seven treasured and extremely rare items strapped to her thigh. And then he noticed that not all of them were silver. Three golden keys reflected the light of the lamps sitting in his office. This all but confirmed his suspicions about whether or not Layla had passed on her legacy to young Lucy. ' _She is holding three Keys to the Gates of the Zodiac. Powerful and devote protectors. They can only be called upon by the Star Children._ '

"I will answer your question Lucy, but only if you answer one of mine first." At her nod, Makarov asked, "Do you believe in magic?"

Without hesitation Lucy replied. "Yes."

"Then my dear, you believe in everything that your mother wrote for you in her letter?"

Again, another confirmation from the blonde. "Yes, I do."

Natsu had no idea where this conversation was heading. Why was gramps asking Lucy about magic? He never sensed any inside of her before, and only felt a twinge when he bought that key for her, but it was the key itself and not from Lucy.

"Then I will tell you. Lucy, you are the last of a line of protectors. The children of the stars. Your mother was one before you, just as her mother was before her. It is only passed down through the ages from mother to daughter and skips generations where there are no women to take up the mantle. You, my dear child, are also known as a celestial spirit mage. The line of the Heartfilia's are the only real celestial spirit mages that are not self-taught, but inherited, and as such can call upon the twelve golden keys in a time of great need. Legends say that you are a direct descendant of the Spirit King himself, but that is only a rumour."

While Lucy sat in silence trying to digest all this information, some of which she already knew, Natsu was having a hard time wrapping his head around the fact that Lucy is magical and he didn't even sense it. "Gramps, how come I didn't sense the magic in her? All mages can do that, and I feel some coming off her keys but not her…"

"More than likely her magic is lying dormant inside of her, waiting to be brought into action. Or there is a possibility that we cannot sense holder mages in the same way we can detect non-holders. We should ask our resident bookworm to start on some research for us to answer these questions. Excuse me for a moment." Makarov jumped down from his seat and left through his door off to find this 'bookworm' he spoke of.

"Wait, Natsu, you're magical?" Natsu cringed at her question. He didn't like keeping things about himself from Lucy, but it was a closely guarded secret to all who have magic because common folk still believe it to be a myth of sorts.

"Yah Luce. I'm the Salamander, a Fire Dragon Slayer, son of Igneel the Fire Dragon King." To hammer his point home Natsu lit his hand on fire, the flames engulfing his knuckles and fingers dancing merrily.

To say that Lucy was surprised would be a gross understatement, but she eyed Natsu's hand with a critical gaze, intent to learn everything that he had been hiding from her. "It doesn't hurt when you do that right?" The heat his fire gave off filled Lucy with an overwhelming sense of warmth. Lucy decided that she quite liked the way it felt.

Natsu was overjoyed that she hadn't flipped out when he showed off his flames. "No. It's as natural as breathing for me. I…uh…also…eat fire as well. We Dragon Slayers have to ingest our element from time to time to keep up our magic reserves and strength. It also helps that fire tastes delicious."

It might have been the stress from the attack last night, or the fact that she found out that her mother and herself house magic within their bodies, or finding out that Natsu eats fire or a combination of all of the above situations, but Lucy's body apparently felt like it was enough and cracked.

Laughter, heaving, snorting, spluttering laughter spilt out of Lucy's mouth. Tears of mirth pricked her eyes, and she felt like her lungs were going to collapse because she couldn't take a proper breath in.

"Gods, you are such a weirdo Luce. Why are you laughing?" Natsu liked the sound of her laugh and didn't want her to stop anytime soon. It was contagious, and he found himself chuckling alongside her. He was just so glad that she hadn't screamed and called him a monster or something like that. Although, it did look like she was having a sort of mental break down in front of him.

At that moment Master Makarov stepped back inside followed by a petite blue haired woman wearing winged red glasses and a bright orange dress that clashed magnificently with her hair.

Lucy stopped her hysterics as soon as she caught a glimpse of the new woman and smiled sheepishly. She couldn't believe that she had snorted like that. She also couldn't believe that Natsu eats fire, but decided to ask him more questions later about it and perhaps try to incorporate it into breakfast tomorrow.

"Lucy, this is the resident researcher of our family." Makarov walked around his desk again and jumped onto its surface to gain a vantage point above his kids sitting in the chairs.

The researcher smiled pleasantly and reached out a hand towards Lucy. "Pleased to meet you, Lucy. My names Levy. Levy McGarden."

After a moment of staring wide-eyed at Levy, Lucy's body finally gave out and deemed it high time that she fainted.


	12. One: Ashes

All rights to Hiro Mashima

* * *

~ **Part One: Ashes** ~

 _noun: The powdery residue of matter that remains after burning_

* * *

Levy directed her gaze towards the blonde laying on the couch in Makarov's office. "I'm sorry. Did I say something wrong? Why did she faint?" She was worried that something she had done or said had caused Lucy to collapse.

When Lucy blacked out, Natsu was luckily close at hand and caught her falling body before it could hit the ground. He was near frantic with worry. People just don't pass out of their own volition, something was obviously wrong. After they had called Wendy up from downstairs and she had taken a quick glance at her new patient, they were informed that Lucy would wake up momentarily, and she would make a full recovery in no time. Apparently she had too many shocks to her system as of late, and her mind just couldn't keep up with the pressure.

Master waved away Levy's apology. "It has nothing to do with you dear. Don't worry about it, she will be okay. This will give her a bit of a rest that she obviously needs. She is in good hands anyways." Markarov gestured towards Natsu who was kneeling at Lucy's side. He was holding one of her hands in his with a pained expression on his face.

Levy was no stranger to Dragons and their instincts. Natsu wouldn't be his happy self again until Lucy was awake to tell him that she was indeed alright. ' _Just who is this woman? She must be special to capture Natsu's attention. Wait…Lucy…blonde hair…keys..._ ' Levy started to put all the pieces together in her mind as she inspected the key ring sitting on the Master's desk, forgotten at the moment in all the commotion. She was looking for a specific one, and then she saw it, the second golden key sitting on that ring glimmering in the low lighting.

Cancer the Crab.

She immediately knew who she was. The woman lying on the couch was none other than Lucy Heartfilia, the friend whom she had been communicating for months with strictly online. ' _What the fuck! The odds of her showing up here are astronomical._ '

"Oh my Mavis. It's Lucy! Lucy Heartfilia! I can't believe that I didn't see it before, she looks almost exactly like the picture of her mother that I found online from years ago." Levy was beside herself. In a few minutes, she would be talking to one of the best girl friends that she has ever had.

Then she cringed slightly. Levy had only received Lucy's message about the research that her blonde friend had wanted her to do an hour earlier. She had been busy searching up a drug that had appeared on the streets a month ago. It was rumoured that the drug – which was sold in pill form – sent you to incredible hallucinogenic heights, complete with magical array of otherworldly effects, until it wore off and had the potential to send the user into a deep endless sleep that no one had woken up from yet. The code name it had been going by lately was 'Lullaby.' Markarov wanted to know if the drug was being purposely laced with magical essence or if it was somehow an accident. Levy hadn't even had a chance to start on the research for her friend.

A groan from the prone body on the couch ripped her current thoughts away, and Levy hurried to see if she could help Lucy recover from her quick trip into unconsciousness.

"Luce! How are you feeling? You scared the shit outta me collapsing like that." Natsu lightly stroked Lucy's face with his right hand, pushing her bangs away from her forehead. "Are you okay?"

Lucy smiled at her overprotective best friend. "Yah Natsu. I feel fine. Better than I have in a couple days actually." She looked over at the other occupants of the room and spied the person who she was very eager to greet. "Levy? It's me, Lucy, we've been talking for a few months online. Do you know who I am? I'm sorry I fainted like that, I didn't mean to startle you."

"OH LUCY! I am so excited to meet you in person, I've been waiting for this day for so long. Of course I know who you are stupid. It was easy to figure out once I saw those keys over there. Although I thought you said you had six, not seven." Levy was bouncing up and down with both of Lucy's hands held tightly in hers.

Lucy sat up with a bit of help from Natsu and leaned into his warmth unconsciously smiling widely. "Natsu bought me the seventh one for my birthday two days ago. It was so sweet of him don't you think? Do you see the last silver one, Canis Minor? He got me the little dog. He also got me the ring that they are all on. It was the most thoughtful present anyone had ever given me." Lucy clapped her hands together silently reminiscing about her surprise gifts, while Makarov and Levy both smirked at Natsu with twin expressions of glee matching on their faces.

Natsu only had eyes at this moment for Lucy and ignored the other two in the room. He knew that Lucy had liked the presents, but to see her so happy about them in person was exhilarating. "Anything for you Luce. You know that. We had been talking for months and became my best friend even though we didn't know names."

At Levy's startled exclamation both Natsu and Lucy froze. "Wait! You mean this is the woman you've been raving about to anyone who would listen for three months? Seriously…what are the odds? And you Lucy, your 'mysteriously exciting man' was Natsu this whole time?"

Being interrogated by Levy was a curious thing. She was five foot nothing and looked like you could snap her in half with two fingers, but this didn't diminish the frankly shocking aura that was floating off of her in waves. So Natsu did what he felt safe doing, only nodding his head in confirmation. Lucy squeaked out a hasty 'maybe' to answer her question and Levy turned her burning gaze onto more pressing issues pushing this weird entanglement to the back of her mind for the time being.

"Master, why did you ask for me exactly?"

"Oh yes, Levy, could you please look up everything you can about the gates of the twelve zodiac, celestial spirit mages, Star children, and these keys – celestial spirit keys – for us please?" Master plucked the key ring off his desk and handed them to Levy to glance at and then put them in Lucy's waiting fingers when she was done inspecting them.

Levy was a fast learner and fantastic at puzzles, so she put the pieces together easily. "Am I correct in assuming that Lucy here is a celestial spirit mage? Not only that but a descendant of the protectors of the night sky, the Star Children?"

When all people present nodded, Levy smiled at her new found friend. "Don't worry Lucy, I'll go to the magical archives and research everything that I can. Here," she deftly plunked her strange looking phone into Lucy's lap, "put your number in this and I'll contact you when I find something out. I want to get started on this as soon as possible."

When Levy finished and turned away from Lucy for a moment, Lucy glimpsed the outside edge of a white tattoo on Levy's shoulder blade that wasn't hidden by the straps of her dress. "Levy, you're a mage too right?"

Grinning triumphantly and with great flourish, Levy wrote the word 'flowers' in mid-air with a brightly glowing pen. The oddest thing was the word flowers appeared in the air around them made entirely of red roses, as well as a shower of daisies and chrysanthemums that disappeared as soon as they hit the floor. "You bet Lucy! I use solid script magic which turn the words I write into physical manifestations of those words."

"Oh! I finally understand your username. Very smart Levy." Lucy giggled right alongside her blue haired friend oblivious to the strange gazes that they were garnering from the two men in the room.

Levy dusted off her dress and turned to Master Markarov. "Well, if that's everything, I want to start this research as early as possible tomorrow so I better go back upstairs to say goodbye to everyone and find my team. Jet and Droy will go with me tomorrow Master just in case anyone is looking for them." She turned towards Natsu and slapped her cheek with the palm of one of her hands. "Natsu! I almost forgot, Gajeel said he was looking for you, something about last night and 'a couple of pansy ass twerps trying to cap the ass of your girl…' I have no idea what that's about, but just speak to him before you go tonight alright? See you guys later." With a cheery wave, Levy was gone out the door.

At the mention of the incident from last night, Natsu looked enraged while Lucy withdrew into herself. "Do not worry my children, we will figure out who is behind the attack. Laxus had told me all about it, but you may want to talk to Gajeel face to face and see if there are any more clues that they can get from the men that they brought in. The Rune Knights will be here for them tomorrow morning sharp so you don't have much time, although one had to be rushed to emergency last night…something about a ruptured testicle…I think. I wasn't listening too closely after Porlyusica flat out denied to heal the bastard after finding out what they tried to do to Lucy."

Lucy started to stutter half-formed sentences of apology. She knew that she was the one responsible for the other man's pain, but she really couldn't feel all too sorry for him. She knew he would have hurt her if she didn't do _something_. She didn't mean to kick him that hard!

Natsu on the other hand couldn't help the feeling of overwhelming pride that grew inside him when he learned of her attacker's pain. ' _Damn she must have a killer kick…and paired with those shoes she had on…_ ' She was absolutely perfect and badass, he couldn't believe that he had found a spitfire almost as crazy as he was. She had just dropped in on his life out of the blue and he wouldn't have it any other way. "Holy Mavis Luce! You are so fucking incredible." He looped an arm around her waist. "Got him right where is hurts. I don't know whether to feel sorry for that pathetic bastard a little bit or be extremely proud. You know what…both, but mostly proud." Lucy just shook her heard at the jovial Natsu relishing in the warmth of his arm around her.

When she glanced at her keys again, a thought about what she had found earlier today struck her. ' _Maybe Makarov would have some answers about Virgo?_ '

"Oh. Master, I found another key today, a golden one, in a small jewellery store downtown. It was owned by Duke Everlue. Now that I think about it, why would he have Virgo's key displayed in a window? Is he also a celestial spirit mage?"

Master growled at Lucy's statement surprising Natsu and her both with the force of his stony gaze. "Duke Everlue is a very corrupt business man who has made a fortune in real estate over the past ten years. He's been cutting corners while building using magic, but no one can figure out how to bring him down. His office is like a prison, you can get out with enough time, but getting in is the problem. All his records are up there. The magic council are chomping at the bit trying to bring him down. The last building he made folded like a house of cards crushing thirty people who were working in the basement. Luckily it was at night so the casualties were limited to the cleaning staff on duty. Currently, his next project is the 'Daybreak Hotel and Spa.' He wants to build it on this plot of land where Fairy Tail is standing. He's been trying to buy us out for half a year and is starting to use intimidation and threats to get what he wants. And yes he is a mage as far as I remember. Uses a strange form of earth magic. I don't know why he would have a gate key to one of the twelve in his possession."

"What! You can't sell Fairy Tail gramps! It's our home! Where would we go?" Natsu was furious that someone would even try to take his home away from him. I was all he had. Well, this and Lucy now, but he needed Fairy Tail. It was his home goddamn it! That bastard was going to pay for the things he was doing to innocent people.

"Shut it Natsu. Calm down before you set my desk on fire again! I am not selling this beloved place to him or anyone else. Laxus will inherit it when he is ready if it's the last thing I do. It would defile the memory of the first Master herself if we bent to the machinations of a stupid fool who is only looking for his next payday." This seemed to calm Natsu down for the moment. "Don't worry too much about it, everything will sort itself out in the end."

Master waved at the two seated before him and turned to a large stack of papers on one corner of his desk. "That's all for now brats. Get out of here and go have some fun or something."

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

After grabbing a couple of beers from Cana at the bar, Natsu dragged Lucy into dark corner of the club where only two gleaming red eyes could be seen watching with extreme vigilance over all the people on the dance floor. Gajeel knew that you could never be too careful now a days, even in your own house.

Gajeel spotted the two approaching mages and carefully shifted to one side of the bench he was sitting on so that Natsu could pull Lucy as close as he could towards him. She was practically on his lap but didn't seem to mind. No, she looked slightly preoccupied with something, and a little guilty as well.

"What's with the long face Bunny Girl?" This was as nice a greeting they were ever going to get out of the Iron Dragon.

"Oh, nothing. I'm fine really. You must be Gajeel, Levy mentioned you." Lucy took in his appearance. Long shaggy ebony hair, many piercings, striking red eyes that seemed to glow in the semi-darkness. ' _Bunny Girl? I've never had a nickname besides Natsu's for me before. I'm kind of glad he seems to trust me enough to give me one, even though I have no idea where it came from._ '

Grunting an affirmation Gajeel rumbled, "So you met my Shrimp eh? Pretty smart for a tiny little thing ain't she?"

Natsu rolled his eyes. "Yo, rust bucket, this is Lucy. Lucy, this is 'Black Steel' Gajeel, the Iron Dragon Slayer, son of the Iron Dragon Metalicanna and my kin."

Hearing his full title, Gajeel put two and two together. "You're a mage eh? What kind? I don't feel any magic coming offa yah."

"Celestial spirit mage apparently. Master believes that my magic is just lying dormant inside me until I use it, but I don't know how. I am also what is known as a 'Star Child.' My mother was one as well before she died from a strange form of cancer. This magic runs in my family according to Master and Levy." Lucy gave a small shrug and took a sip of the beer on the table in front of her. "What's kin exactly?"

"The simple version is family. The longer more weird version is kinda like 'brothers-in-arms' we might not be related by blood, but our instincts don't care about that. Same goes for Laxus and Wendy, and their 'bonded'. They're our family within our Fairy Tail family…sort of." Natsu hoped that her questions about dragons and their instincts would stop for the moment. He would rather talk to her about all of this in a more…secluded place. Like his apartment. But the look on Lucy's face told him that she had more questions now than before he opened his mouth. "Luce, I promise to answer all your questions you've ever had about Dragon Slayers and stuff like that…but let's wait until we aren't out in the open when just anyone can hear. Luckily this corner is soundproof thanks to Levy and Freed, seeing as this is Gajeel's regular spot, but you can't be too careful."

A bashful Lucy nods and apologizes softly to both men. Gajeel grunts. "Let's get this over with. Laxus and I…talked to the people that came after Bunny. All we got out of one was whining and crying over the pain he was in." A feral grin spreads across his face. "That particular piece of filth will only ever have one ball now thanks to Bunny. Laxus was over the moon when he found out, he actually wants to talk to her sometime and congratulate her on being 'a fucking tough ass little blondie.' His words, not mine. The other scumbags were so far down the totem pole that they have no idea what's going one. The only thing we could get out of them for sure was that they were hired two days ago and that they were supposed to get some keys from a 'Lucy Heartfilia.' They were all mages, able to wield those weird looking guns we found. I asked Bisca to look at them and she said that they were made by a corporation that popped up a couple years ago, but when we looked into them it was just a shell corporation inside of another shell corporation." Gajeel mumbled the words 'tricky bastards' into his drink.

"Yah, I noticed those guns did look a little weird. But I do feel sorry that the man had to get hurt when he was just following orders. I didn't want to hurt him like that, but he was going to put his creepy hands on my breasts. There was no way that I was going to go down without a fight. I had to protect my keys from those degusting perverts." Lucy sniffs derisively, like it was evident that she would kick anyone in the nuts that even came near her keys in a manner that she deemed predatory. "I don't like that I had to hurt him, but I don't regret what I did. Hopefully he will learn his lesson and in the future and not be a total idiot."

Gajeel grinned at Natsu's shocked face. "She would get along great with the Shrimp. Both tiny woman with a colossal amount of spunk inside them."

"Shrimp? As in Levy? I've been friends with her for months now; we've been communicating online only because I rarely got into the city because I was looking after my house and my sisters." Gajeel just laughs.

Natsu didn't know whether to be insanely turned on with Lucy's passionate speech or livid at the thought that some other man might have put his grubby little paws all over her smooth skin. Reigning in a possessive growl, Natsu decided to take neutral ground and just be proud of his Lucy. She protected her friends from harm and took care of herself before he could get to her. She was strong. Natsu was brought back into the conversation by the appearance of Mira behind them.

"Lucy, Master just spoke to me about your conversation and let me know that you're a mage as well. I would just like to formally welcome you to the family and wondered where you would like your stamp?" Mira was wielding a large rubber stamp in one hand and an ink pad in another. The ink seemed to shimmer in the flashing lights of the club, changing colours every once and a while.

"Stamp? What stamp?" Confused, Lucy looked towards Natsu for help. He was grinning widely, showing off his sharp canines. Then he pointed to his exposed shoulder where the red Fairy Tail mark was sitting.

"Oh. Wait…I thought that was a tattoo."

"No. It's a magical stamp. You can choose your colour and placement, and only those that have magic themselves will be able to see it." Mira waved her hands around airily like she had had this particular conversation before. "Now. Where would you like it?"

Lucy looked down at herself. "On my hand please." Then she glanced at Natsu who nodded encouragingly at her. "In pink."

Pressing the stamp to the ink and then to Lucy's outstretched hand, Mira placed the mark upon her. After it had been done, Mira sauntered away from the little group with a wave goodbye while Lucy was occupied admiring her new ink.

As the music changed around them and the roar of the crowd got louder, Natsu grabbed Lucy by the hand and pulled her out of her seat. He didn't want to waste any more of their night by just sitting there with the taciturn Gajeel. "Thanks for the information pincushion, let me know if you find out anything else from those bastards." With a middle finger salute and a cackle Natsu pulled Lucy towards the midst of the dance floor. He didn't want to miss a moment dancing with Lucy tonight. He needed to feel her curves under his hands and he needed to feel them _now_. Natsu had been patient long enough.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

The danced for hours together, always connected by some body part. Whether it was just Natsu's hands on her waist while he guided her though a the slower songs while they looked at each other in the eyes, or the heart pounding, faster paced songs that had their blood stirring where Lucy took the lead, grinding herself against Natsu's front.

Those were his favourites. He wanted to see Lucy lose control with him, and he desperately wanted to see what she would do when she let herself go completely wild. He was primarily a dragon, an animal, a beast. But she was like a dying star, just waiting for the right time to go super nova and explode with a fiery passion.

Lucy had lost all sense of time. As Natsu moved his hands from gripping her hips to slowly slide down her waist to the tops of her thighs, she shudder with arousal. Every move he made behind her sent sparks shooting down her spine to rest between her legs. She had never felt this way before, except when they were together. Natsu had opened up a whole new realm for Lucy and she was terrified but also extremely excited to find out just where he would take her.

"Luce, you are so damn beautiful. Gods, you don't know what you're doing to me." Natsu's voice sounded very husky in her ear. She could feel his warm breath on the nape of her neck as he pulled her body closer to him. She could distinctly feel just what she was doing to him, his stiff length sitting proud in his pants, hard against her ass. And then he lightly brushed her neck with his lips. "Luce…"

She had completely lost control of her body at this point. A low moan slipped its way up her throat before she could tamp it back down. She was too far gone to care really. "…Natsu…." She wanted him. All of him. She was sure of it. This pink-haired, sexy, child-like man behind her was unraveling her in all the right ways.

Lucy spun around in his arms so that he breasts were pushing up against the hard planes of his chest. He looked at her with those dark pools of obsidian and brought a hand up to the back of her head, tangling his fingers in those long silky waves of gold that he loved so much, while the other hand slowly slid to cup a lower cheek. "Natsu. Kiss me."

He leant towards Lucy's lips slowly as the grip of her hands on the nape his neck got tighter, trying to hurry him though his actions. Lucy was done waiting, so she decided to close the distance between them and take matters into her own hands for once.

Before she could put her plan into action, a voice rang out beside the dancing duo. "There you are! I've been looking all night for you guys."

Gray's voice was like a bucket of ice water dumped on their heads, and reality set in. They hadn't lost the need for each other…far from it. Their bodies were so wound up, their skin feverish, flushed and sweaty from the dancing.

Natsu whimpered – which he would deny doing later of course – and looked down at Lucy again determined to forget about the annoying buzzing in his ear curtsey of Gray's voice. He wanted that damn kiss with her, her lips were calling him like a sirens song, and he would be loath to keep himself away.

However, she wasn't looking towards him anymore, but politely greeting Gray instead, her body rigid with suppressed need. At least Natsu knew that he wasn't the only once pissed that they were stopped again.

Natsu's sharp eyes immediately honed in on the offending man who had the utter gall to interrupt Lucy and him right when it was getting good too. ' _Did he plan this? Wait until we were going to kiss and spring up on us like that? The fucking nerve of that stripper…His ability to cock block me is starting to annoy._ '

Lucy knew that she needed to calm her body down now that Gray was around, she didn't want anyone by Natsu to know just how much he affected her. So she excused herself from the two men beside her missing the glaring match that they were holding over her head.

Natsu watched Lucy walk towards the bathrooms in the back until she was out of sight then turned towards the idiot in front of him, ready to rip him a new asshole, his natural onyx eyes now like black holes, dark and dangerous. "What the fuck do you think you're doing? Why did you interrupt us like that?"

Gray tried to put on an innocent face, but it didn't work as his eyes were gleaming with deviousness and mirth. "What do you mean? I didn't even realise that I interrupted you two, sorry about that I guess." Snickering slightly, Gray turned and walked away from a seething dragon, knowing that Natsu wouldn't attack him here with all the non-magical folk around. ' _Shit. He's going to get me later for this_.'

"Fucking shit." Natsu vowed to every deity there ever was to burn Gray in a fire so hot he would turn into nothing but a little pile of ashes the next time he saw him. Feeling marginally better about the situation, Natsu trudged towards the bar and ordered yet another beer from Cana who was messing around with her tarot cards again. He would wait for Lucy here and then take her away from Fairy Tail tonight. He had made up him mind already and wanted to tell her about her being his 'one' as soon as possible. These interruptions were wreaking havoc on his blood pressure and the blue balls he was experiencing were painful to say the least.

"Evening Natsu. Want your fortune told tonight?" Cana was over the moon with all the drama popping up. It was like one of those soap operas that Lisanna watched when she was sick. She had watched the decidedly tension filled dancing between Natsu and Lucy and then saw Gray spotting them while he was dancing with his own chick, which he abandoned to mess with the almost couple. She couldn't wait to tell Mira about all of this.

"Not tonight Cana. Could you do Lucy's though? Wouldn't mind a heads up if there's trouble in her future again or something. You know how I don't like surprises."

"Alright. I understand. Let me see…oh. There's love in her near future…no surprises there. Also an ending…that one's tricky to decipher. The Devil card reversed…Ah, shit! Natsu, where's Lucy? She's in danger!"

As Cana utters those words, a massive boom sounds from the direction of the bathroom as well as many voices screaming. Natsu bolts towards the commotion spotting Laxus and Freed, as well as Gajeel sprinting behind him.

The door is wrenched open before he can get there. Clouds of dust and dirt spill out of the open doorway along with droves of coughing woman. Natsu looks frantically around for a head of golden hair, but the feeling of dread that's sitting low in his stomach says that she wouldn't be there.

He pushes past the woman into the washroom to see a mostly intact bathroom with one exception; there was a newly dug whole in the ground that is in the process of collapsing. Natsu knew, he just knew, that whatever had happened here, Lucy was in the middle of it.

The dragon inside of him whined pitifully as he stared at the hole, not registering the voices talking to him. The growl that ripped its way from his throat brought all conversations to a halt. "Whoever took Lucy will be a wold of pain. I won't hesitate to rip their limbs off and burn them alive."

A single hand clapped down on his shoulder and Natsu heard a deep voice behind him. It was Laxus. "Lead the way brother."

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

Lucy woke up confused and annoyed.

Extremely annoyed.

While she was in the bathroom checking over her hair and makeup with ten other girls around her, the ground underneath her had opened up like a giant mouth and swallowed her whole. In actuality, Lucy had dropped into a small tunnel into the arms of someone that she recognised.

That strangely formal employee that she had talked to in the jewellery shop. "What the hell…" Lucy hadn't even been able to form a complete thought before the woman pressed two fingers to the back of her neck, finding a particular pressure point that made Lucy lose consciousness yet again.

The last thing Lucy heard was, "Forgive me."

Now Lucy didn't know what to think. She didn't have any idea where she was. But she did know she was angry to the point of actually gnashing her teeth together to prevent herself from screaming in frustration.

She was bound by rope to a wooden chair in an extremely nice office, in a high rise overlooking the ocean. ' _How cliché_.' Currently she was staring out of the floor to ceiling windows at the stars in the heavens. Seeing as she had nothing better to do, she told them the story of what had been happening to her since her twenty-first birthday just two days ago. As she finished she wished her star friend a good day like always, and then turned her head abruptly as she heard a noise.

The doors of the office opened once again, bringing in the mysterious woman and a tiny moustachioed man wearing what looked like a woman's ruby necklace. "So, your finally awake then? Forgive us for the rough way we brought you in and your treatment thus far, but you and I needed to talk urgently." The small man with the terrible comb over strutted about the room like a peacock.

"Who are you exactly?"

"Oh, where are my manners. I am Duke Everlue, and this is my servant, Virgo. She has brought something fascinating to my attention earlier today. It seems you were able to see Virgo's key through the illusion that is usually in place. She also said that you are in possession of many keys, including some of the twelve golden ones. I want those keys, Ms. Lucy. Or should I say Ms Lucy Heartfilia? Where are they?"

Appalled at the fact that this mage made Virgo into a servant and utterly confused at how he was even able to summon her in the first place, Lucy stubbornly sat ram rod straight in the uncomfortable chair glaring at the Duke. "I didn't bring them with me. Do I look like I have pockets in this dress? I bet you had Virgo here search me as soon as she found me, but she didn't find them. I won't give you the location of them. I will never give you my friends." She spat out the words with as much venom as she could muster.

In truth, Lucy's keys were still strapped to her thigh, but this bluff was all she had, and with the look that Virgo was giving her at the moment, Lucy hoped that this small lie wouldn't come around and bite her in the ass later. She didn't want the Duke to search under her dress, ever.

Virgo, on the other hand, _had_ searched the blonde for the keys and found them almost immediately, however, even though Everlue was her Master at the moment, Virgo didn't take any initiative when carrying out his request. The Duke had asked her to search Lucy but made no mention of bringing him the keys if they were found. It was these loopholes that Virgo lived for. Usually it just caused harmless mischief or exasperation on the part of her Master, but in this instance it might actually save her brethren from harm.

"Fine. Maybe if I leave you to think things over all night strapped to that chair, you might come to your senses you worthless girl. I will be back in the morning to ask you again, but if I don't hear something good I won't ask as nicely again." The underlying threat was clear in his voice as her beckoned Virgo to his side like a leashed dog. Duke Everlue strode out the door, locking it behind him.

' _Shit shit shit shit…what am I going to do? These ropes are too tight for me to move! I hope Natsu's on his way…_ '

Yelling in frustration at the ceiling, Lucy let out a couple of angry tears. She didn't want that despicable man to get a hold of her friends. These keys were all she had left of her mother, and one was a gift from Natsu, she wouldn't go down without a fight. She had to find a way out!

And then she heard it. The voices that she always chalked up to exhaustion or her imagination. But she knew better this time. They were the stars, the ones that she had been protecting and talking to her whole life.

 _Use us, Child of the Stars. You have done well in protecting us. Now it is time for us to return the favour._

One phrase kept repeating in her mind, over and over like a broken record. Lucy instinctually knew what she had to do. Silently she sent a quick thank you up to her beloved friends and concentrated on the words that would help her get to freedom.

"OPEN! GATE OF THE GIANT CRAB, CANCER!"


	13. One: Sear

All rights to Hiro Mashima

* * *

~ **Part One: Sear** ~

 _Verb: to burn or scorch injuriously or painfully_

* * *

Natsu Dragneel could say that he was a dependable person. Reliable. Easy to get along with. Laid back. And as such, it was hard to truly surprise him.

Confused? Yes. Constantly.

Flustered? Only recently with anything that had to do with Lucy.

But surprised? Never. He was a mage after all. In all his years in his relatively short life, Natsu had never been more surprised than he was at this moment, on the top floor of Everlue Enterprises.

He had faced down wyverns. He had taken on the Titania and lived. He had been raised by a goddamn fire dragon for fucks sakes, but what he saw before him on this night would need to be explained immediately before his head exploded.

When he had burst through the top floor doors in a whirlwind of flames and dry air, he had expected to find Lucy in the typical damsel in distress fashion, tied up and sad, maybe a couple of tears dripping down her face. Then he would swoop in and be the badass dragon and save the princess from harm, and she would reward him with a sloppy French kiss. But…it seemed that his daydreams were destined to not become a reality.

He and his brothers behind him were itching for a fight to protect their kin – which includes their bonded – but instead, they were slightly let down. There was no bad guy to kick the shit out of…well, there was no bad guy to kick the shit out of _anymore_.

After all the commotion of their loud arrival had died down, three stunned Dragon Slayers stared at the scene in front of them.

In the middle of the floor, there was a small, bald, snivelling man. Off to one side, there was a woman whom Natsu recognised, but her outfit had completely changed from her tasteful business suit into a maid's dress with shackles on her wrists, her stoic blank face never changing. Near the massive windows in the back, there is a large cornrowed man with crab legs coming off his back holding a pair of scissors standing over a decimated wooden chair smirking and throwing out the word 'Baby' every once in a while.

These things were all strange, but nothing over the top. What was making every man in the room pause and reevaluate their lives slightly was the busty blonde woman standing over the crumpled mess of a man.

Lucy had a sinister snarl pulling on her lips, and she was screaming out the same phrase while gripping the front of the pathetic man's dishevelled suit jacket with one hand while holding a pair of oversized golden scissors – really they were as big as pruning shears – to his neck. Her weapon of choice was strange but effectively seemed to be installing fear into all mages present glinting in the light of the moon. For something so innocuous, they looked absolutely deadly and impressively sharp.

"HOW ARE YOU SUMMONING HER!?" Waves of power and a massive amount of magical energy was pouring out of Lucy, crushing the mages under the overwhelming pressure slightly. Her hair was flying in a whirlwind of phantom wind that swept through the office out of nowhere. Natsu couldn't help but be impressed with Lucy at this moment. Yes, this was incredibly weird, but this was her show, and he would wait for her to indicate when she wanted help or not. Natsu held up his hand to his brethren behind him in a 'wait' gesture when Laxus tried to move passed him into the room.

"The necklace! Gods! Just take the necklace you monster! What the hell are you!?"

Lucy finally looked up at the three dragons standing stock still in the open doorway, and Natsu could see why the man below her called her a monster.

Delicate golden runes were etched underneath her eyes in what looked like shimmering ink. All over her pale skin, newly formed brands could be found, each a different symbol on a different body part written in black. But the most startling thing was the fact that her eyes looked like pools of molten gold, undulating and swirling with power.

Natsu had never seen anything so amazing in his life, she looked so beautiful, so powerful. So he smiled at her, not moving a muscle to intervene. ' _Is it wrong that I am insanely turned on right now?_ '

Lucy disregarded the interrupters for the moment in favour of reaching forward and wrenching the ruby necklace off the man's thick neck in front of her so hard that he chain snapped in half cleanly with a small snap.

The shackled woman on the side of the room disappeared in a flash of gold, leaving behind a few sparkles in her wake.

"Answer me now Everlue! What is this necklace? Where did you find it?" Bringing her shears back towards his neck, Lucy looked like a deadly avenging angel bent on pruning the world of all its evils.

"That jewel in the middle isn't truly a ruby. It's a lacrima, filled with blood from the only known Star Child of our generation. When she died, her blood was discretely removed, as it is very valuable, and placed in several lacrimas like that one and then auctioned off on the black market. It allows the wearer to use the powers of the Guardians of the Stars and summon some of the twelve."

Silence, rife with rage and danger ensued. When Lucy spoke again, it was deadly calm. "Do you mean to tell me, that this necklace is filled with the blood harvested from my _mother_?"

The Duke nodded sensing the growing tension in Lucy's body. "Now…hold on! I only bought it! I didn't remove it from her…Wai-" With a resounding battle cry, Lucy plunged the shears into Everlue's fleshy thigh and then snapped her leg around to land a very powerful roundhouse kick into his bald head before Everlue even had a chance to scream out in pain. Everlue fell down unconscious on the ground, and all that could be heard was Lucy's heavy breathing. ' _That's my girl._ '

With tears streaming down her face, Lucy cried out in rage and pain while smashing the lacrima necklace into the ground, crushing it under her foot for good measure.

"Thank you for your help Cancer, and for the use of your weapon. You may go back." The distress was palpable in her voice, and Lucy swayed slightly on her feet.

With one last 'baby' the smirking, the sunglasses-wearing man disappeared in much the same way as the mysterious woman did not even five minutes prior.

Lucy bent down to the ground and sifted through Everlue's pockets until she found what she was truly looking for.

A golden key. The gate key for the Maiden, Virgo.

Her job done, and her friends safe, Lucy collapsed for the third time in two days, her magical energy depleted and her emotional stamina wiped out.

Gajeel snorted as Natsu ran forward to scoop Lucy off the ground. "Can I be the first to ask…what the fuck did we just witness?"

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

Lucy came back to the waking world once more on the couch in Makarov's office, this time she was cradled in Natsu's lap with his big, safe, warm arms around her waist and her head tucked under his chin. Blinking into the sudden light, Lucy realised that they weren't alone. Levy, Gajeel, Laxus, Mira, Cana, Gray and Master were also there.

"Welcome back Lucy. How are you feeling?" Lucy looked down into her lap and realised that she was still wearing the same clothes from before. Her dress was ripped and torn, covered in dirt and blood from Everlue's wound and her sandals had been lost somewhere along the way. ' _So much for that outfit…didn't even last one night_.'

She snuggled into Natsu's chest to get more comfortable before answering. "I'm alright Master. Just a small headache now, and I'm still a bit tired."

Makarov nodded his head, seating himself on his desk and peering at her as if trying to figure out if she was telling the truth. "That is understandable dear. You released a massive amount of previously blocked magical power. It was bound to affect you in some negative ways. Now, I had heard what Natsu and the others saw when they arrived, but what I would like to know is what happened before they got there? And who was that woman who disappeared? Natsu said that you have met her before."

Lucy's heart suddenly jumped into her throat. "Oh Gods, Virgo! Where are my keys!?"

A familiar jingle distracted her from her panic attack, and she saw Natsu pull her key ring out of his pocket, along with her phone. "Luce, it's alright. They are all right here. Virgo's there too, I made sure to put her on there to keep her safe for you."

Natsu dropped the keys into her eager hands and moved his now empty hand to the back of her head, sliding his fingers through her messy gold hair in a soothing manner.

Sighing in relief, Lucy turned sheepish eyes towards the Master after giving Natsu an appreciative squeeze around his middle. "Alright Master, I'll start from the beginning."

* * *

 _"OPEN! GATE OF THE GIANT CRAB, CANCER!"_

 _A man with small sunglasses and a sly smirk materialised next to the chair that Lucy was bound to. "What's up, baby?"_

 _"Oh thank the gods that worked. It's nice to meet you Cancer, my name is Lucy Heartfilia. I think you may have known my mother, Layla Heartfilia."_

 _Taking in her predicament at the moment, Cancer brandished sharp golden scissors. "Yes, I knew her baby. She was a wonderful woman and a true friend to us. Now, let's talk later after you're out of that chair, okay baby?"_

 _Without waiting for Lucy's go ahead, Cancer took the initiative to release her from the rope around her wrists and ankles by slicing and dicing the chair until it no longer resembled one. "Finished baby. You must be ready to fight, the discharge of your magic would have alerted any mages in the area, and Everlue could be on his way back. Here, take this." Cancer gave her one pair of giant scissors for her to defend herself with. "We must use the element of surprise. I must ask you, Lucy, please release Virgo from her binding from Everlue. He is not supposed to be able to call her into service, it is unnatural. We twelve are meant to be for the Heartfilia line only. The stars have been watching him for a long time, and the way he uses Virgo is despicable. She is nothing more than a servant to him. A tool. A shield."_

 _At his words, Lucy's resolve hardened, and an overwhelming feeling of hatred for Everlue stole over her, as well as a newly awoken protective instinct ripped through her heart._

 _She would free Virgo._

 _She would destroy Everlue in the name of her stars._

 _Lucy's magical output exploded out of her body as she heard a noise from the other side of the large wooden door and she just knew that that despicable man was back to check on the disturbance that the releasing of her seal created._

 _She was ready for him._

 _Before Everlue could even take in the situation, Lucy was yelling in a voice so full of malice and authority that his breath stalled in his chest. "CANCER! DESTROY THE BASTARD!"_

 _With a small 'baby' thrown over his shoulder, Cancer got to work quick as lightning and twice as deadly. When all was said and done, Everlue was a puddle on the ground, his recently bald head gleaming in the moonlight streaming through the windows._

 _"What did you do to him Cancer?" Lucy was impressed with the spirit's abilities to say the least._

 _"Oh, I severed the tendons in his ankles, knees and wrists as well as giving him a new haircut. What do you think baby?"_

 _Lucy's smile was chilling. "It looks perfect Cancer. Thank you."_

 _Everlue chose this moment to speak up through his obvious pain. "You will never get Virgo from me. I own her. She is my property!"_

 _This was evidently the wrong thing to say at this moment, and Lucy's restraint to be civil snapped like a dry twig. "You disgusting man! She is not property!"_

 _Everlue sneered in her face. "She is mine to do what I want with."_

 _Taking two long graceful strides up to Everlue, Lucy grasped his suit jacket in one hand and pointed the scissors at his neck close enough that when he swallowed the tips grazed his Adam's apple drawing beads of blood._

 _With her righteous anger, Lucy's powers started to fluctuate. Her eyes lit up, and the new symbols adorned her skin. No one would insult celestial spirits in front of her and get away with it!_

 _"HOW ARE YOU SUMMONING HER?"_

* * *

"Damn girl. Remind me to never get on your bad side." Cana took a swig of her beer and winked at Lucy. "Proud of you, though, takes a lot of guts to stand up for your friends no matter what."

"Thanks, Cana. I appreciate that. I wasn't going to allow that fuckwad to use Virgo like that anymore. She deserves so much more. At least she is with her family now." Lucy glanced down at her keys, they seemed to warm happily in her hands, as if they heard what she said.

Makarov spoke to Levy next. "What has me pausing is the necklace that Lucy mentioned. Levy, would you please research this for us as well. Ask Freed for help if need be."

Levy bowed her head, her eyes held a determined glint within them. "Of course Master. I'll start on that right away. Come on Gajeel." Turning on her heel, Levy led the grumpy Slayer out of the office.

"Alright, brats. The club is closed tomorrow and the next day's for repairs, Laki will be making the new floor and will need the space to do her work. I would like to remind everyone that Erza is coming back soon, so please…everyone on their best behaviour. I want everyone back here at ten tomorrow morning so that we can go over everyone's questions and then have Lucy's welcoming lunch after. I think that's it…so...get out of here! Go home you crazy kids."

Makarov turned to Natsu as everyone shuffled out of the room. He was still holding a now sleeping Lucy in his arms, a content smile gracing his features. "Natsu my boy, get Lucy home and put her to bed. She will need the sleep to build up her magic reserves after using them tonight. I am very proud of her for the way she handled herself under pressure, and I am even more proud of you for showing restraint. I know that it would have been exceptionally hard for you to not swoop in and save her seeing as she is your chosen."

Natsu didn't even question how the old man found out about Lucy's connection to his dragon side, the Master knew everything that was happening even before most of his children did. "It wasn't hard to keep out of the way. You should have seen her gramps, she was so incredible. That idiot, Everlue, never even stood a chance."

"Of course he didn't. Lucy is a child of the stars after all."


	14. One: Warmth

All rights to Hiro Mashima

* * *

~ **Part One: Warmth** ~

 _Noun: the sensation of moderate heat_

* * *

Sunlight streaming through a half-cracked window nudged a very comfortable Lucy from her slumber. Squinting into the offending light, she turned over to try to get a little more shut-eye. She cracked open one eye and recognised the soothing colours of Natsu's room almost immediately. ' _Funny, it's only been two days, and I don't feel any panic when I wake up._ ' Lucy could also feel the warm presence of Natsu beside her, and it put any lingering nerves to rest. If Natsu was here, she was safe. She had her keys with her, and she would defend them to the ends of the earth of need be.

Lucy could feel the pressure of tiny paws kneading her thighs. "Happy, go back to sleep. It's too early for this…go ask Natsu for food instead." But Happy wasn't having any of that today. As far as the annoying cat was concerned, Lucy was now part of the family and therefore able to get him food.

The fact that the silly blue cat was bouncing around on her full bladder may have had something to do with her rolling out of bed and shuffling into the bathroom to start her morning routine. Or it might have been her terrible morning breath. The reason behind why Happy needed to wake her up instead of his owner was beyond her.

Looking down at herself in the mirror, Lucy felt a wave of déjà vu wash over her. She was once again dressed in one of Natsu's shirts, this time advertising a type of lager made somewhere with palm trees. It wasn't at all surprising really. So she giggled and shrugged. At least she trusted the man who was undressing her at night, and she got a comfortable sleep out of it as well. The shirt was so soft and well worn, and it smelled like him, like crushed pine needles and something dark and spicy. But looking at what she was wearing brought an issue to light in her muggy brain.

' _What am I going to wear today? I only have the clothes that I was wearing the day I met Gray for coffee before going to Fairy Tail the first time._ '

She would solve this problem after an abnormal amount of coffee. Everything would work out if there was coffee thrumming through her veins. Wrinkling her nose, Lucy remembered the devil coffee maker sitting beside the microwave in Natsu's kitchen. She would never make a good brew in that thing. ' _Maybe I should buy Natsu an expensive machine that works correctly? He's done so much for me recently, and I would get delicious coffee out of it_.' The sentiment was there, but her reasoning might be slightly selfish.

She finished up with washing last night's makeup off her face then stumbled out of the bathroom almost tripping over an excited Happy in the process. "Shit! Happy! Why are you always underfoot when there is good fish around eh?"

Feeding Happy was an adventure in and of itself. She had never witnessed a cat as small as him devour a veritable mountain of very pricey fish in that small amount of time. Lucy couldn't look away as the pile disappeared down his greedy gullet. It was a circus act."Oh, yeah. You definitely are Natsu's pet."

Happy hissed unpleasantly. "Gods, sorry. Friend…I meant friend. You know, I think you can understand a bit more than you let on Happy. It wouldn't surprise me if you suddenly sprouted wings and started talking, that's how weird my week has been. I don't think anything could surprise me anymore."

And that's when something decided to surprise her.

It came in the form of a sparkling cloud and a swirl of fuchsia hair and manacles.

"Punishment Mistress?"

Lucy screamed as Happy shot under the table with a startled yowl.

It's a wonder Lucy didn't faint again.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"I have returned. Where is Master Makarov? I must speak to him urgently."

"Good morning Erza. Master is in his office. Try not to keep him too long, he needs to complete his paperwork for the council and write an apology letter for the destruction of an upper floor of a high-rise as well as an explanation for some breaking and entering." Mira's smile was sweet but dangerous. Makarov was putting off his paperwork lately. If that continued, they might lose their liquor licence, and that would put the Master on the Demon's black list, where no sane person would want to be.

Erza closed her eyes apparently in deep thought. "Let me guess. Natsu? Or Gray? What did they do this time? Will they need to be reprimanded?"

Smiling coyly, Mira shook her head. She wanted to see the look on Erza's face when she realised that someone other than those two boys decimated something. "No, not exactly. The whole story will be told later. We are welcoming a new member officially today at ten, then having a buffet lunch for her to celebrate. Everyone has been notified of the situation on their communication lacrimas. Just go in and speak to Master now, I'm sure it must be important."

Without another word, Erza strode up to the door and entered without knocking. She knew that a mage such as Makarov would recognise her magical energy and be waiting for her.

She was correct. Makarov was indeed waiting for her with a fountain pen poised over a stack of papers, apparently trying to look very busy in case Mira decided to drop in unexpectedly. She could just glimpse the corner of a magazine on his tiny lap. "Hello, Erza. What have you learned?" Master bowed his head in welcome.

"Master. It is far worse than we thought. I will need help on this assignment."

Recognising the seriousness of her tone, Makarov sets aside his pen and gives the redhead across from him his full attention. "Very well, tell me everything you have found out about 'Lullaby.'

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

If Natsu was honest, he could say that his life was more stressful with Lucy in it. It had been less than three days that he had officially met her and twice now he had woken up in a blind panic. Yesterday was an overreaction, which was understandable. She had been almost kidnapped outside Fairy Tail. However, this morning he was startled out of a very interesting dream that included eating whip cream off of certain body parts attached to the blonde that was _supposed_ to be lying next to him, had his heart pounding and him wondering if she would she was trying to send him to an early grave.

Instead of rolling over and slowly waking up to the scent of breakfast, he was jolted into a sitting position by the sound of a shriek and a startled yowl. In no time at all Natsu was vaulting out of his bed regardless of the fact he had on only a pair of boxers on, skidding into the entrance of his kitchen slightly in his haste. He allowed his magic to trickle down towards his hands, lighting them on fire, ready to confront whatever had scared Lucy into screaming.

"Luce! What's wrong! Are you alri-"

Choking slightly on his words, Natsu decided that while his life was more stressful now, it was infinitely more exciting as well. Every day could be considered a new adventure. And this one was starting out to be an interesting one.

He assumed the yowl he heard was from Happy who was cowering under the kitchen table, his blue fur standing on end, obviously startled.

The surprised shriek was Lucy, and glancing over the entire scene playing out in front of him in his kitchen at…six forty in the morning…he could understand why she was startled.

Right in the middle of the black and white tiled floor stood a shackled blue eyed woman dressed in a maid's costume, her eyes sparkling with barely contained amusement.

"Dammit Virgo. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!" Lucy was holding one hand over her heart – which was furiously pumping away – and waving the other arm around to emphasise her point. "How did you even come through your gate? I didn't summon you did I?"

"No Mistress, you didn't summon me. The twelve Zodiac Gates can open their own in times of need if the mage who wields them is strong enough, not just magically, but in their heart as well." Virgo bows towards Lucy at this statement. "I am sorry for startling you, though. Will I require punishment for my misstep?"

' _Punishment? Why would I punish her?'_ Lucy shakes her head quickly. "No Virgo. No punishment. And please call me Lucy. Just Lucy. I am not your owner. We are partners in all things now."

"What about Celestial Empress?"

"No. Just Lucy."

"Star Queen?"

"No Virgo."

"Golden Goddess?"

"NO! Absolutely not. Just…Lucy."

"Princess?"

"…Fine. If you must."

Deep down, Lucy actually didn't mind the name Princess. It was the least horrendous out of all the names that Virgo had been spouting. Who was she to judge a person? If it made Virgo happy, then she would be okay with the nickname for now. Hopefully, Virgo would be the only one averse to calling her by her actual name.

The interaction between the spirit and Lucy was fascinating to Natsu. He could see how well these two fit together, their energies and magic feeding and intertwining around one another. It would stand to reason that Lucy's magic was fueling Virgo's ability to be in this realm, but it was more than that. Without much preamble, there was a distinct feeling of comradery between them.

A sense of trust.

Apparently, Virgo was supposed to protect and help Lucy in times of strife, but the opposite was also true. Lucy was just as responsible for the wellbeing of her spirit as Virgo was for her.

Grinning at the fact that Lucy had more than enough help to keep her safe from unnecessary harm – he knew that some harm would come to her sometimes, it was a mage's life after all – Natsu let all the tension melt away from his limbs. He made himself busy trying to oust Happy from under the table.

"Thank you Virgo, but why did you pass through your gate? I wasn't in any danger at the moment."

"I have brought you clothes, Princess. I know that you didn't have any to wear today after the events of last night." Virgo's cerulean eyes pierced into Lucy's. "Unless you would like to keep wearing Prince Natsu's shirt instead."

"Uhm…thank you for your kindness, Virgo. I'll take those clothes now and change." Lucy eyed the maid suspiciously as Virgo shoved a pile of dark blue fabric into her awaiting hands. Lucy didn't know why, but she knew that Virgo had a trick or two up her short puffy sleeves. ' _Seriously? Prince Natsu? More like fire breathing, castle crushing, knight eating Drake Natsu._ '

Lucy turned around and was startled by the appearance of Natsu, whom she had almost forgotten existed with the impromptu appearance of the spirit in the kitchen. "Oh! Good morning Natsu. Sorry for waking you up." She tried hard to not look at his muscular arms as he was pulling a reluctant Happy from under a chair, but she failed miserably. So she gave up and just ogled him. It wasn't her fault he had no clothes on.

"Morning Luce. Go get changed. We can go out for breakfast this morning seeing as we are both awake at this ungodly hour, my treat. You deserve something delicious after everything that's happened these past couple of days." The sooner Lucy put on something to cover her long legs the better. Natsu didn't need for his morning wood to become even more pronounced than it already was. There was just something about Lucy in the morning light, standing in his kitchen casually talking to him with a head full of messy hair that sent a strange warmth through his chest...and blood straight down towards his groin.

Dismissing Virgo with a nod of thanks, Lucy smiled, her face lit up at the thought of all the croissants that she would cram inside her stomach. She wouldn't be opposed to a nice latte right about now as well. "That sounds fantastic! I'll be out soon, give me twenty minutes then we can leave."

'Hmmm…breakfast date with Natsu.' Lucy liked the sound of that.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"What the hell Virgo!?" Lucy's new spirit was apparently a mischievous one. While the pair of comfortable faded jean shorts and dark blue t-shirt covered with gold stars was standard issue, the underwear that was included was decidedly not normal.

Instead of Lucy's usual white bra and boy shorts, Virgo had taken it upon herself to provide the skimpiest pieces of lace Lucy had ever seen. They barely covered anything, and they had the audacity to call themselves underwear. It truly was just scraps of red silk and black lace.

Lucy looked at herself in the mirror. Even though she had never even thought about wearing lingerie like this before, it made her feel oddly confident. She liked what she saw and made a mental note to thank Virgo at a later date.

Discreetly of course.

Finishing up in the bathroom, Lucy could only hope that she didn't pass out tonight before she made it home to Natsu's apartment.

She would much rather be awake the next time he undressed her.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

The café they ended up going to for a light breakfast before they made their way to Fairy Tail to meet the Master was oddly enough the same one that Lucy stopped at when she opened her birthday presents from Natsu. ' _Things have really come full circle haven't they?_ ' Instead of an anonymous best friend, a single letter of his first name, and seven seemingly innocuous keys, Lucy had her best friend beside her, his full name, and the ability to summon beings from another plane of existence.

Her life now was definitely weirder than last week.

Ordering herself a café latte and a cinnamon roll the size of her head, Lucy sat outside at a table with Natsu and just watched the world go passed in comfortable silence.

Once their orders had arrived, Natsu seemed to be struggling to get something out of his mouth. It was clear that he was having an internal panic attack, so Lucy waited until he could voice whatever was on his mind.

Well, she waited for another five minutes until his expression looked absolutely cringe worthy. "Natsu, why do you looked like you're in actual physical pain? Are you alright?"

"Well…Luce…I-I want to, no I need to tell you something. I've put it off for a while now, just because we just met and it has something to do with my dad's side of the family." Hopefully, Lucy would understand that he couldn't talk too openly about Igneel out in public, but she was smart and would catch on. "I didn't want to freak you out, but there's been no good time to tell you about all this, well there was…but you were either unconscious or almost kidnapped or sitting bound to a chair in a skyscraper. A-And I just met you in person, I don't want this to ruin our friendship, it's the most precious thing to me. I have no idea how to go about telling you something so impor-"

Lucy stuffed a piece of cinnamon roll into his mouth to stop his rambling. "Natsu. This is me. Lucy. If it's important, you can tell me. We told each other everything before we even met, right? And who says that I will freak out? Did I freak out excessively about Levy? Or about your fire? Or about my keys? Or even Virgo popping up in your kitchen this morning…okay, maybe I did scream about that one…but she startled me dammit!"

"I know Luce, but…"

"No buts. Tell me, I'm guessing it has something to do with what you inherited from your father, right?" Lucy prompted him to go on. Natsu seemed stressed out, his normally spiky hair was even more unruly from him pushing his hands through it while he was trying to make up his mind to speak or not.

"Yes. All Slayers have this...urge. We not only inherit the abilities from our parents but their instincts as well. The instincts to find our 'one'."

Furrowing her brow, Lucy stays silent for the moment, she won't ask questions until he's done.

"Luce, I can only be with one person, love one person. Some call it fate, others destiny, or maybe it's just luck. Both Laxus and Gajeel have found their 'other half' as they say and bonded with them. The bookworm is Gajeel's chosen, she smooths over his rough edges and polishes his gruffness, while he gives her more confidence. They balance each other out. It's the same with Laxus and his fiancé Freed. What I'm trying to say is that I've found mine, Luce."

Lucy smiles with all the force of the sun. "That's actually really romantic, and kind of weird. But it's like animal pairings when it comes to large predators. They have mates. Can I assume that you mate for life?"

Natsu nodded, not even willing to breathe. This was going so well so far. He just had to say one last thing. ' _You can do this. This is Lucy. If what Igneel said is true, she was meant for you. Don't be such a fucking coward and spit it out._ '

"IT'S YOU!"

Lucy's eyes widened at his outburst. Natsu breathes out and tries to wrangle in his wildly beating heart that was trying to escape from his ribcage.

"Luce. I've known it was you since the first time you hugged me, I can feel the uncompleted bond every time we touch. It's like something is pulling me towards you. Please tell me you feel something too…"

Lucy can't think. She can't breathe. She heard his words and now that he's said them she knows why his touch always ignited something in her veins, why her bones melted and her skin was always feverish when he was close. Why she _ached_ to touch him and wanted him to touch her right back. She was his other half. His pair. His chosen.

His mate.

Finally, she whispers. "Me? Natsu, are you sure about this?" She wants to believe that this is true. All true, because he is everything she ever fantasised about when she was a young girl thinking about the life she could have had before her parents were gone. The adventures, the fun, the love.

Her thoughts trail off. ' _Love?_ '

Oh yes. That was definite. Lucy was in love with this child of a man sitting across from her. No question about it. It was probably why she cherished their online conversations so much right from the beginning.

"I'm positive Luce. I have never been surer of something in my life. You make me so happy, your pancakes are amazing, and I never want to have another adventure without you there beside me." Natsu reached out across the table, coffees forgotten at the moment, to grasp the hand of the quiet woman beside him.

She gripped his hand tightly in her own, marvelling at the warmth of it. "I have one question Natsu." Lucy needs to know the extent of his feelings. She needs this answer.

Natsu nods quickly. "Anything Lucy. You know that."

"Do you love me?"

His face splits into the widest grin she has ever seen, his sharp canines poke out as his eyes shine with happiness. "Always have Luce, from the moment you said you liked dragons."

That answer was what she was looking for, what she was hoping for. She can't keep the tears out of her eyes, they're happy ones, of course, Natsu made her so ecstatic with just one sentence that she can't keep from crying. A sob rends the air, and she presses the back of one shaking hand to her mouth to muffle the rest of the noises she wants to make.

"Luce. Hey, don't cry. Please…did I do something wrong? Shit...it was too soon, wasn't it? Dammit, I just ruined everything haven't I?" Launching out of his chair to kneel beside her, Natsu wiped under her watery eyes, cupping her cheek in one of his warm, strong hands.

Lucy shakes her head. "No Natsu. I'm just so happy. I never thought that I would find someone like you, that's all." Her joy was bursting out of her, and she wanted to share her feelings with him, so she did the only thing she could think of at that moment. The only thing that she had been yearning for these past couple of days.

Grabbing his face in between both of her palms she lowers her head and lightly grazes her lips against his. Once, twice, a third time.

But it wasn't enough. It would never be enough, not for her. Not for them.

"…Luce…" And then he was all she could feel. His lips were on hers again, scorching her with his unbridled passion and need. He _needed_ her, and she could feel it in every touch from him. A warmth was building again inside of her, and now she knew just what that feeling was, it was her love for _him_. Hidden beneath layers of loneliness and years of solitude. He had cracked those walls and shaken her foundations.

"I love you too Natsu. Always have." She slid her hands around to the back of his head, gripping the short hairs at the nape of his neck and forcefully pulling his sinfully amazing mouth back onto hers. She wasn't going to waste this time not kissing him. They moved in sync, bodies meshing closely together in tandem. Two halves of the same whole, complete again after being apart for too long.

They knew that they were making a spectacle, especially when he picked her up in his arms and twirled her around in a circle, all the while keeping that slow burning, insides melting, blazing kiss going. Neither Natsu nor Lucy really cared, though, they only had eyes for each other while everything around them faded to grey in the background.

Natsu laughed. She was everything he needed, literally. Lucy grounded him, and she knew how to manage him. After they bonded, they would be the perfect team. "Gods, your amazing Lucy. We should get going, we need to be at Fairy Tail in a half hour. We can talk about this more tonight." She was his, and soon enough he would show her just how much she meant to him. The pull to mark her, to claim, to ravage was getting stronger by the minute, he couldn't wait to get her back to his house.

Lucy smiled again. "Alright Natsu, lead the way."

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

Standing outside the doors to their favourite club, Natsu and Lucy were trying to decide whether or not to tell everyone about Lucy being Natsu' chosen. Natsu's arm was around her shoulder, rubbing small circles on her shoulder, the action soothing them both of their nerves. Lucy leant her head onto his shoulder, releasing the last of her built up tension.

"They probably already know. Everyone knows how Dragon Slayers work, and I've never shown interest in another person before, we should just tell them. Cana probably saw this coming in her cards already anyways, which means Mira knows, which means that everyone knows. Oh, and Master knows."

"Alright Natsu, I wouldn't want to hide this anyways. It was supposed to happen right? And it's your family, so they should accept this with no problems."

Natsu drew Lucy into a warm bear hug, squeezing her small frame to his chest. "Luce, it's your family too now, remember? You're a part of Fairy Tail." He plants a kiss on her forehead and smiles his special smile down at her. "Love yah Luce. Let's go inside. I'm dying of starvation out here."

He drags Lucy around the back and actually knocks on the door to which Elfman opens with a sceptical look as if wondering why Natsu didn't just break the door down again.

After stepping inside, a voice sounds behind them, one full of authority and a matter-of-fact tone. "Good. You have arrived. Natsu…what is this I hear about the destruction of the top floor of the Everlue Enterprises building? Where you fighting with Gray again? You know I will have to take disciplinary action."

Natsu whispers under his breath while his body stiffens as if readying himself for a challenging battle. "Ah, crap. It's Erza."


	15. One: Fire

All rights to Hiro Mashima

* * *

~ **Part One: Fire** ~

 _Noun: a state, process, or instance of combustion in which fuel is ignited and combined with oxygen, giving off heat, light, and flame._

* * *

As the beast known as Erza strode closer to the stiff pair, Natsu glanced down at Lucy and gave her a pleading look and whispers in a desperate tone, "I'm sorry for this baby."

Before Lucy could ask any questions about what the hell was happening, Natsu spun Lucy around in front of him so that her back was pressed tightly against his chest. This afforded Lucy her first view of the woman named Erza. Clad in a shimmering silver top and a deep blue pleated skirt, the woman had a deadly grace about her. It was evident in every move she made, like a panther stalking its prey. Her gait was both fluid and efficient, flowing like a dance only she knew the moves to. She was also very beautiful, long bright red hair, sharp prominent features and cocoa brown eyes that seemed to slice into your soul.

Lucy was about to find out just how critical that observation was.

On closer inspection, what Lucy thought was a silver long sleeved shirt, was actually brightly shining armour, glinting in the light of the bar. ' _What would she need armour for in the club? Doesn't she feel safe here?_ '

As a silver sword materialised in the approaching woman's right hand and was pointed directly at where Natsu had been standing only moments ago, Lucy realised what Natsu had meant when he said he was sorry.

He was using her as a shield.

Without any prompting on her part – other than a singular thought running through her brain – Lucy's body started to run on instincts that she didn't even know that she possessed. There was a definite threat in front of her in the form of a pointy sword no less, and she could only think of one word at the moment, regardless of the fact that she knew that no one within these four walls of Fairy Tail would intentionally hurt anyone else. The woman was pointing that overgrown letter opener at her mate, and Lucy would not stand for that.

' _Protect._ '

Magic power flowed around Lucy in waves of light, swirling and undulating like an ocean current. Her eyes started to shift from deep brown to molten gold and the runes from a long forgotten language appeared once again under her eyes. However, unlike the moment where the seal was released in Everlue's office, only one sign branded itself onto Lucy's flawless skin, the sign of the Maiden.

"Star Dress, Virgo form."

Shackles appeared on Lucy's arms, and her shorts and shirt were exchanged with a standard issue maid's uniform, all within a blink of an eye.

The dangling chains appeared to have a life of their own, seemingly directed by Lucy's will or perhaps her thoughts. They wrapped around Erza's outstretched arm, tightening until the bones of her wrist rubbed together painfully. Erza didn't drop the sword, though, the look on her face a mildly perplexed one. It was a testament to her training how she didn't let a glimpse of her pain cross her features.

Quick as lightning, another sword shimmered into existence in Erza's free hand. In a flash, the sharp edge was pressed lightly against Lucy's jugular. Lucy knew that if she moved only an inch to the left, she would more than likely bleed out on the floor of the club.

Sensing her distress, Virgo and Cancer stepped out of their gates by their own power, faces set in determination. They were both ready to assist their Star Child if need be.

Cancer, noticing an opening that Lucy could use to gain an upper hand, threw one of his pairs of golden shears at Lucy. With fast reflexes that seemed to come with her powers, Lucy deftly caught them and shoved with deadly sharp tip under the bottom edge of Erza's armour. With only a few more pounds of pressure, the scissors Lucy was wielding would cut clean through some of Erza's more important internal organs. It would be a painful way to go.

Apparently, a stalemate had been reached, and under fifteen seconds at that. No one else had moved in that time. No one seemed to be breathing either.

"Drop your sword. Please. I don't want to hurt anyone." Lucy's voice was layered with many others, giving off the impression of a choir of beings speaking instead of just one person. These were her stars talking with her, through her. She was an emissary for them, a guardian. Their voice was her voice it seemed.

A new voice cut through the tension-riddled atmosphere. "Lucy, Erza, please. There is no need for this."

Lucy looked down at the small man she had come to think of like a grandparent. "Of course Master. Forgive me."

And just like that, Lucy dismissed her Star Dress as well as Cancer back to the Celestial Spirit world. She let Virgo stay out, as she could answer some questions that Markarov obviously had. Erza followed suit, stepping back at letting her magic go, the swords dissolving back into her storage space. This action seemed to unfreeze the mages standing in a ragged circle around them, breathing life back into everyone. Whispers and exclamations were heard, but ignored by both Lucy and Erza.

Lucy felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist, and a nose buried itself in her wavy hair. ' _Natsu._ ' All she wanted to do was keep him safe, and it seemed that if she let her instincts take control, she was liable almost to hurt one of her new found family. She would need to keep a closer check on her magic power just in case.

She felt Natsu's lips graze the shell of her ear, sending a pleasurable shiver up her spine as the last of the gold faded from her eyes. "Holy crap Luce. That was incredible. You have no idea how turned on I am right now."

By the feeling of his hard arousal pressed tightly against her backside, the answer was _very_ turned on. Apparently, Natsu liked to see Lucy in the heat of battle. It showed off her strengths that he loved, as well as her weaknesses so that he knew she was truly only human just like him.

Well…mostly.

Inwardly smiling at Natsu's words, Lucy giggled lightly as Natsu kissed her neck. He was starting to forget where they were again finding that Lucy's smell was distracting him significantly. All he truly wanted to do was carry her out of Fairy Tail cave man style to assert his claim on her than ravage his beautiful star in the next deserted alley they came across.

However, Lucy seemed to have more presence of mind. While Cancer had been sent back to the spirit plane, the shears she had been allowed to use had not been.

Lucy let a smidge of power leak into her voice while she gently pressed an edge of the scissors to Natsu's cheek turning his face slightly so that he could see the amusement glimmering in her eyes. "Natsu, did you just use my body as a meat shield to escape Erza's wrath?"

"Uhm…no? Yes? Maybe..? I knew she wouldn't attack you without asking questions first babe, but she would pound me into the floor before I could even defend myself. Also, it wasn't me who destroyed that floor of Everlue's office. All the lights and electronics in that whole building shorted out because of you."

"Wait, you destroyed the door, though, you can't put all the blame on me, and I did that unconsciously. How would I know that the seal being released would cause my magic to have that kind of blast radius?" Lucy pouted, her lip jutting out adorably.

Natsu swooped in a stole a kiss from her mouth. He just couldn't help himself. "Shit Luce. Say 'blast radius' again. Gods you're so damn sexy." He murmured those words against her lips, never actually disengaging the kiss. Natsu could feel her body shift closer to his in response to his words.

A soft sigh left her lips. She wanted Natsu to whisper more deliciously exciting things in her ear. She also wanted another kiss, so she pressed her mouth more firmly over his, momentarily distracting them both from the situation at hand.

An awkward sounding cough broke the two out of their…conversation. "Lucy, I apologize for my actions, but I must say that your magic is quite impressive. I have never seen something quite like that before." Erza looked towards the two intertwined mages in front of her and could see…something new between them. Hell, it was definitely something new if Natsu had his arms around a woman. Most of the people at the club believed that he was an asexual. They knew that he only got to love a single person, but lust is clearly different than love, and he never seemed to lust after anyone in the whole time she knew him.

Lucy bowed low to Erza; her expression was sheepish and her tone apologetic. "Thank you Erza, I must say that your magic is beautiful. As for mine, I am the only one with this type, apparently. It runs in the family. I only found out magic was real yesterday. I am a Star Child, the Protector of the Heavens, and Guardian of the Zodiacs."

A sharp gasp could be heard within the surrounding bodies crowded into the main hall. Lucy looked over to see a man with bright auburn hair and small reflective sunglasses staring at her. She frowned slightly. While everyone around him either looked confused about the proceedings or were trying to hold in their laughter, this man looked almost…frightened.

Maybe she scared him when she had her little exchange with Erza? ' _Hmmm…that's strange. Maybe I should introduce myself later?_ '

Erza was impressed by her title, no doubt it held important responsibilities, though. "What does that entail, being a Star Child?"

"I can call forth celestial beings from another plane of existence to aid me. I am technically what you would call a Celestial Mage, but almost like another breed. The people that I call on for help are representations of the constellations, and my wonderful friends." Lucy waved a hand that wasn't currently trapped within one of Natsu's, at Virgo's stoic form. "This is Vigo the Maiden. I retrieved her key last night. That's why Everlue's office was destroyed. I was kidnapped and held hostage until I gave up my keys. But my stars helped me out before Natsu could get there, and I released the seal that was holding my magic back. I summoned Cancer the Giant Crab and we took down Everlue together."

Lucy's face twisted in disgust. "He was a despicable man; he used a lacrima filed with the blood of my mother to summon Virgo and ordered her around like a slave, like property. I couldn't have any of my friends treated like that, so I snapped." She shrugged at the end of her statement.

They heard chuckling behind their backs. "You should have seen Blondie, Titania. She would have given you and the demon a run for your money. Keep an eye on her when she is infuriated." A hulking man stood before them, all blonde hair and jagged scar. "Yo Blondie. Nice to officially meet you. Wanted to congratulate you on your killer kick the other day." Both Natsu and Laxus laughed at that, while Makarov smirked beside them, thrilled that everyone was getting along with the newest family member. It was time to get down to business though, seeing that everyone was present and accounted for.

"Alright brats! Let's all get comfortable. It's story time!"

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

Lucy let Virgo take the reins for most of the story about Everlue, interjecting at when a question couldn't be answered because Virgo wasn't physically with her all the time. Natsu helped when he could, and told them all about how he, Laxus and Gajeel had tracked her using her scent, and Virgo's, to Everlue's high rise. They had scaled the building by the stairs, bypassing the elevator – Lucy had given him a strange look at that moment – and busted down the doors only to find a pissed of Lucy glowing with righteous fury. Natsu had kissed her temple then with pride shining in his eyes and a triumphant grin on his face.

During the hour and a half it took for all sides of the story to be told, then questioned, then analysed, Lucy had sat in Natsu's lap seeming at easy with his warm arms surrounding her in a protective yet comforting gesture.

"Okay, I can't hold it in any longer. What the hell it this," Cana waved her hands at the cuddling duo, "stuff about?…Your lovey-dovey crap is making me nauseous."

"Cram it Cana. I bet you saw this coming months ago, thanks for letting me know by the way." Natsu grumbled to the card mage. "Couldn't have given me a heads up?"

A smirk – very reminiscent of her girlfriend's smile – crossed Cana's lovely face. "And where is the fun in life if you have all the answers? Wasn't it more fun finding out this way?"

"Yah, alright, whatever you say you drunkard."

Levy pipes up from beside a frowning Gajeel. "Let me guess, Lucy's your chosen isn't she?"

A small whistle sounds from Loke as more whispers break out in the crowd. "Damn Natsu, and I thought you were going to be a virgin forever. Didn't believe that you even knew what a woman was, let alone how to bed one."

"Oi! You wanna say that to my face, Loke?"

"I just did!"

"You trying to start something you man whore? You and Gray both are just the same aren't you?"

"Maybe I am! At least I'm not still a virgin!"

Gray stands up and strips off his shirt in the process, hands giving off a frosty sheen as his magic activates. "You fucking firebug, don't drag me into this!"

"I'll kick your ass you stupid stripper!" Natsu practically growls out the words while trying to remove Lucy from his lap so that he can meet the two advancing men head on. Erza notices things getting out of hand and stands from her seat to forcibly separate the men who are acting like a bunch of stupid upstart teenagers.

Before she can move, though, a voice rings out above the shouting match laced with magic to amplify it slightly so she can be heard above the din. "Boys! Sit your asses down! We are not done here."

All three men whip around to stare at Lucy and give her mock salutes. "Y-yes ma'am!"

"You know Lucy; I believe I like you already." Erza is extremely impressed that those three trouble makers listened to someone that wasn't her. ' _I wonder if Gajeel would listen as well. Probably not, but if I can get Levy in on this, we may never need to replace another table due to one of their brawls._ '

Natsu is maybe a teensy bit afraid of his Lucy at the moment. But he already knew that she could handle him just fine, what he wasn't expecting was for her to be able to handle everyone else. ' _She's going to fit in just fine here._ '

"Now, where were we? Oh, yes. Natsu, is it true that Lucy is your mate?" Makarov asks as innocently as possible. Even though he already knew, thanks to a little heads up from their resident fortune teller _months_ ago.

"Huh? Oh, yah. We haven't bonded yet, but she's mine." Natsu stares down all the males in the hall, his gleaming obsidian eyes promising a quick but pain filled death to all those who cross his mate, or look at her in a way that he deems 'ogling.'

"Alright then. I think it's time for some well-deserved lunch; the buffet has been set up and the food supplied by out lovely Mira. Serve yourselves, my children, you've earned a hearty meal."

Natsu springs up from his chair and darts towards the delicious smelling dishes, dislodging Lucy roughly onto the floor in his haste. Laxus and Gajeel are right behind him with twin looks of determination on their faces while Levy disregards the rush for food in favour of sticking her nose in a book of rare magical poisons.

Makarov can see this situation going downhill fast, so he makes a last-minute addendum. "Dragon Slayers go last! You can eat after everyone gets their fill first. Don't even give me that face Natsu Dragneel. I know for a fact that you could eat all the buffet by yourself in under an hour."

Natsu trudges to a nearby table to sulk at, sneaking glances every once and a while at Mira's delicious smelling food, his mouth watering all the while.

Lucy looks from her new home on the floor to see two naked legs and a pair of black boxers. "Need a hand?" Gray reaches his hand down towards Lucy and gently helps her up.

"Thank you, Gray! I had no idea that Natsu could move so quickly. I guess when it comes to food, he has a one track mind doesn't he?" Lucy giggles at the thought. "Oh, Gray? Where exactly are your pants? Did you lose them again?"

Gray shrugs and slings an arm around her shoulders, crushing her slightly into his bare torso and grins down at her. "Dunno, I lose a lot of my clothing around here, it happens when I'm most comfortable. I don't even bother looking for it half the time. Everyone is desensitised to my nakedness now. Well, everyone except you of course."

Lucy rolls her eyes and pushes Gray away from her. "Whatever, just don't lose you boxers alright? I don't ever want to see what's underneath those."

Gray just snorts at her dismissal of what he deems to be the best part of his person before a scorching hand roughly pushes Gray away from Lucy's side. "Oi, get your arm off of Luce you perverted popsicle!"

"You wanna go your pink haired bastard?"

Leaving the two immature little boys to have a name calling battle, Lucy grabs a plate of food and sits down in a booth with the other ladies of Fairy Tail that she's already met. Now that she knows about magic, she feels like there is a whole other facet to everyone that she needs to learn about. Lisanna and Mira tell her about their similar magic. Mira use a type of transformation magic that has to do with demon souls, while Lisanna's is slightly tamer, using regular animals. Wendy, who surprised Lucy to no end, is an adorable teenager with dark blue hair tied up in twin pig tails. Lucy learned of her Dragon Slaying Heritage as the Sky Maiden, daughter of the Sky Dragon Grandeeney and primarily uses healing and support magic to great effect.

Lucy and the girls chatted late into the afternoon and learned a great deal about each other. Lucy kept one eye out for Natsu, their eyes connecting every once and a while as if to reassure each other that they were okay. Lucy noticed that Levy did the same thing with Gajeel, albeit more discreetly, probably from a lot of practice.

When she asked Levy in an undertone about it, Levy sighed and giggled. "It's a bonded slash mate thing. It's like you can almost sense where the other half of you is. I think it is mostly used for checking up on each other and keeping both sides balanced and in check…but I could be wrong. There isn't a lot written about Dragon Slayers and their magic. Their magic is so rare now it's considered a lost art."

"Woah! Mira, turn that up would yah?" Jet, a speed mage and part of Levy's team 'Shadow Gear,' points at one of the flat screen lacrimas – not televisions Lucy found out – signalling the demoness to increase the volume.

At his outburst, most of the people crowd around the bar snapped to attention, and the rest of the club fell silent once the head line was read.

 _The Downfall of Everlue Enterprises: Breaking news_

"Shut up you idiots! I'm trying to listen!" Laxus grabs the remote out of Mira's hands and thumbs the volume up even high to drown out the whispers around him.

" _-lue's building 'Everlue Enterprises' was sabotaged last night as an explosion of a new type of energy not currently found before in Magnolia rendered any electronics on the premises unusable. When police arrived at the scene early this morning, they found Duke Everlue, trussed up like a Christmas turkey in thick rope with a note attached to his neck that read 'Check the hard copies, you'll find something interesting there.' When forensic accountants and a team of external auditors perused the files in question, as everything at the crime scene for breaking and entering is admissible in court, it was found that Everlue had been cutting corners on his buildings for years, literally. Apparently none of his buildings had been using correct materials and the work was shoddy or unfinished. Police haven't yet given out a formal statement about the circumstances surrounding his arrest, but we can only assume that some of the charges will have something to do with the collapse of one of his more prominent hotels last year, which killed a total of thirty people."_

The setting changed once again from the news room to the emergency room of Magnolia General Hospital.

 _"In other news, an epidemic of sorts is breaking out all over Magnolia proper, and experts are still clueless as to how or why it is happening. Scores of people are being brought in by loved ones and treated in Magnolia General. When interviewed, the Chief of Staff mentioned that physically all the patients are fine, but they just won't wake up. They seem to be in an 'endless sleep' as it were. Hopefully, the doctors here can figure out how to wake up all these dozing people before it's too late. Back to you Adam."_

Makarov looks grimly down at his tankard of mead and then takes a long draught as if steeling himself for what's to come. "I believe it's time I told you about 'Lullaby.' Laxus, Natsu, Erza, Gray, Lucy, and Levy, please come to my office. We have much to discuss."

* * *

~ **End Part One** ~


	16. Two: Flood

All rights to Hiro Mashima

 **Happy Holidays to all you fabulous readers out there, I wish you health and happiness in the upcoming New Year.**

* * *

~ **Part Two: Flood** ~

 _Noun: a great flowing or overflowing of water, especially over land not usually submerged_

* * *

That small group of mages filed into Markarov's office, the tiny room filled to capacity – Laxus taking up half with his hulking form – and the temperature was climbing. Obviously the ventilation was shoddy, or non-existent, but more likely Natsu's mood was fluctuating.

Whipping out a small white pocket square to dab at his sweaty forehead, Markarov addressed the two mages who know about the situation regarding the magical drug Lullaby. "Erza, Levy, please share your findings with us. We must quickly tamp down on this problem…I have had news from Bob from Blue Pegasus and 'Lullaby's' reach is spreading to their part of Fiore as well, it is no longer an isolated incident. Seeing that Everlue is no longer a threat to Fairy Tail thanks to Lucy here," Lucy blushed prettily at this and averted her eyes to stare at the floor, "I believe that it's time to focus on this more pressing problem. Laxus agrees with me, and he will be taking point on this issue, operating as I usually would as acting guild master for the weekend coming up as I go to yet another conference in Clover."

Something that looked like a ghost of a smile slid up onto Laxus' face, only to disappear before anyone saw that he was proud that his grandfather had faith in him.

"I will begin Master, it was on my authority that this problem was brought to light, after all." Erza proceeds to sit in one of the wooden chairs set up in front of the Master's expansive mahogany desk that dwarfs the room. She drags a hand down her face as if suddenly weary of the proceedings. "It started about a month ago. On my travels around Fiore, I was starting to hear musings and whispers of a particular type of magic being used by a dark sect of people operating somewhere in the south east of us. They are like spectres, never truly being seen, but leaving an impression wherever they go, usually with harm and destruction in their wake. Their leader is named 'The Reaper,' only known for the jobs he usually does, assassination jobs that were outlawed by the magic council years ago. This is how they were labelled as dark, they refused to give up the pay that comes with those…despicable missions. They are collectively named Eisenwald. I would usually take them out no problem, but I just don't have enough information on any of the members. There are civilians being hurt now, I came back this morning to ask the Master to grant me permission to bring you two boys with me. I need help."

Natsu snarled, eyes glimmering with unrestrained hostility. "You want me to work with the Ice Queen over there _and_ leave Luce when we just acknowledged the bond? Are you fucking insane?"

Gray had an identical look on his face. Apparently, he didn't want to work that closely with Natsu either, but there were non-magical people being harmed. It was their duty to help.

"Natsu. Calm down." Lucy chided, a small frown pulling at her lips while she gripped one on his forearms with her small hands. "I don't really want to be separated from you at the moment either, but you heard Erza, the situation sounds bad. They need your help. You are a Dragon, you protect those you care about. Shouldn't that extend to the people of this town as well?"

Admonished, Natsu gazed at Lucy's determined face, looking for a sliver of doubt in her bright eyes, but finding only passion and a fury that was reflected in his own. ' _She's right, time to man up and protect these people. They are defenceless against magical attacks._ ' Natsu nodded at Lucy and placed a sweet kiss on her temple. "Thanks Luce. You know just what to say sometimes." He turned to Erza. "Alright, I'll do it, but I want it done as fast as possible so I can get home to Lucy."

Erza cleared her throat and raised one eyebrow. "Oh, is that so? Well, if you had let me finish my thought, you would have heard me ask for Lucy's help in this endeavour as well. Her magic is versatile and surprisingly varied. She would be a valuable asset on this mission." Erza then addressed Lucy directly. "Unless you object to my reasoning…?"

Taken aback slightly, Lucy stared hard at Erza, then turned her questioning gaze on the Master. "Uhm…me? Are you sure you want me to come along? I have only known magic existed for less than two days and you all just met me. I could be completely incompetent!"

Surprisingly, it was Laxus who spoke up. "Don't kid yourself Blondie. I witnessed firsthand what you did to Everlue, the destruction you wrought on the buildings electronics just by releasing your seal, not to mention the man himself. Your spirits are strong. You are strong. Hell, you ruptured a man's testicle with your kick and surprised Titania not five hours ago. Lucy, you are a Fairy Tail mage, magic runs in your veins. If nothing else, trust in the spirits you can summon. If you weren't strong, they wouldn't be able to come out their gates by themselves, right?"

Lucy looked at the giant of a man standing behind Makarov. "How do you know all that?"

"I'm an artificial Dragon Slayer. I had no dragon parent, but a lacrima filled with ancient magic was shoved into my face by the asshole who was known as my father when I was young. But I share the instincts of other Dragon Slayers, Freed is my chosen. I also have their heightened senses including hearing. I heard what you told the squirt and the bookworm this afternoon."

"What's your element?"

Laxus held up one hand letting a touch of his magic flow free down to his fingers. A spark jumped, arching between his knuckles and running up his arm. "Lightning."

Lucy fell into a contemplative silence. ' _Will I be any help at all on this mission? I've never done anything like this before? What if I hold them back?_ ' Glancing at Natsu, then at both Gray and Erza, none of them had any negative feelings on their face. All she could see was determination, acceptance and an overwhelming feeling of…pride, from Natsu.

' _Trust in your spirits._ ' She would do this job. It was her duty to protect people of this world, just as she was tasked to protect the stars. She couldn't be a hypocrite. If she told Natsu that he should do this, she should too.

Pushing her doubts to the back of her mind, Lucy decided on her course of action. "Alight, I'll come along. I will help in whatever capacity I can. We can't allow Eisenwald to exist after what they have done to the innocent people of this town."

Both Master and Laxus nodded, their expressions mirrored each other. Both stoic and serious.

Natsu whooped, ecstatic that he wouldn't be separated from his chosen so soon after they knew about their connection. After all, if Lucy was with Natsu on this adventure, then he could be able to watch her back and she him. He knew she could take care of herself, but they were supposed to balance each other out, be the perfect pair, and that included in _battle_. This was the perfect opportunity to test that theory. "I'm all fired up now!"

Erza sighed dreamily. "It will be so nice to have another woman to travel with. I sorely missed having anyone to bathe with. It will be much easier to wash my back now with another person there."

Silence answered that statement, and Lucy could only wonder if it was normal for people to bathe with each other. She didn't have any siblings until more recently, so she didn't know what they proper procedure was. "Uhm…Sure Erza, no problem…?" Lucy shot a 'help' look at Gray who just shook his head trying to keep in his chuckles, so she turned to Natsu, who looked slightly annoyed.

"Oi, Titania, you wouldn't try anything in the bath with Luce would yah?"

"What do you mean Natsu? I need someone to wash my back, you, Gray and I used to bathe together as children, are you offering your services instead of Lucy? I just assumed that you wouldn't want to as you had grown up. But it can be like old times! All of us washing each other. It would be efficient and nostalgic. Yes, I think that would be a perfect idea. Thank you for suggesting it Natsu." Stars glimmered in her eyes as she remembered

Natsu's mouth hung open, his jaw unhinged. He couldn't even understand how this conversation got so twisted around. Now he had to wash Erza's back again! He didn't want to do that, well…only with Lucy, but definitely not the Titania.

If Gray's white washed face was any indication of how he felt about this new 'adventure into bathing' Lucy didn't know what was. Strangely enough, she felt no jealousy at having Natsu wash Erza's back. She could feel the familial affection practically washing off all three of them, Gray included. Lucy had to slap her hand over her mouth to muffle the giggles that were trying to escape as she witnessed this bizarre exchange.

These people were weird. But amazingly loyal, and of course…fun.

But mostly crazy.

Levy cleared her throat awkwardly, her face beet red from keeping her laughter bottled up. She couldn't wait to tell Gajeel what he missed at this meeting, he would hate to lose a reason to tease the Almighty Salamander. "Master, would you like to hear what I found out about 'Lullaby'?"

This effectively wiped the smiles off of everyone's faces. There was a drug out there putting people into a dreamless sleep, and it needed their immediate attention. Master waved at the tiny blue haired woman to continue. "Please go on Levy."

Levy cracked open the thick tome that she had been toting around for half a day, reading sporadically. It was one on ancient magical poisons and their application. She also placed a single shining blue tablet on the desk. It was contained in a clear glass dish so that everyone could see it.

"This pill is being called 'Lullaby' on the streets, supposedly because it can put the user into a coma of sorts, a dreamless sleep that no one has been able to wake up from. The pill is regular ecstasy, however, it is laced with a distillation of magic. A spell that has been turned into liquid form. The pill is then soaked in it, and there is a thirty percent chance that when the ecstasy has worn off, the spell will knock the user out and they won't wake up. Not everyone who uses Lullaby will succumb to its magical effects, but I don't know why. I'm still trying to figure that part out, as well as what they actual spell the tablet is being soaked in. I know one thing for sure, this is a deliberate act. There is no mistaking Eisenwald's intention. They want to kill people. Maybe for fun, or maybe there is a specific target and all this anarchy is to disguise it, I just don't have enough information."

Levy pointed to the top of the blue pill. "If you look closely there is a music note stamped onto one of its side. But it's stylized, like from an old music book from hundreds of years ago. I haven't been able to research it to its full extent yet. It is utterly obscure."

"Open! Gate of the Southern Cross, Crux!"

Lucy's voice cut across Levy's explanation. She didn't mean to yell over her friend, but Lucy felt like she couldn't control her body for a moment. She had grabbed one of her silver keys off of her ring and swished it through the air before she even knew what was happening.

A small flash of golden light filled the room, making all mages present squint. Blinking quickly to rid the spots from their vision, they were all graced with the view of a gigantic silver cross…man with a magnificent mustache hovering over the only available space left in the office, Makarov's desk.

It was also apparently asleep; its rumbling snores could be felt resonating in their bones.

"Uhm…Luce? Who that hell is that?"

"Well…I don't really know. Obviously, it's a spirit, the representation of the Southern Cross constellation. I think his name might be Crux. But other than that…" Lucy's explanation petered off as she noticed everyone was staring wide-eyed at her. "What?"

"Why did you summon him Lu?" This awed question came from Levy. As well as a new nickname which sent a little warmth through her heart. Lucy could only shrug as an explanation. She had no idea why she would call this 'Crux' out of the spirit plane for help.

A large snorting cough came from the cross-legged spirit, startling everyone present. Gray fell off his chair and Erza's eyes comically widened. "Ah, Princess, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

' _Damn. Another spirit dead set on Princess? What's wrong with my actual name?_ ' Lucy's face glowed bright red at the curious looks she was getting from the others in the room, except Natsu who had a mischievous grin plastered on his stupid handsome face, seeing as he had witnessed the exchange this morning in his kitchen between her and Virgo. "Nice to meet you to Crux. You know that you can call me Lucy right? I don't need to have any other name than that. I want us all to feel like equals."

The cross bowed slightly, if such a thing were possible when one doesn't have a torso. "Virgo has been raving to all of your spirits in the Celestial Plane about how you shot down all her other names for you but agreed to the name of Princess. Would you prefer if I called you Queen Lucy or Empress instead? Virgo would be overjoyed to call you Golden Goddess. Apparently she thinks its befitting of your hair and your station."

' _My station? What the hell does that mean?'_ Lucy breathed hard through her nose to release the tension and embarrassment in her body. She could hear the sniggering of her friends around her and wanted to cut this weird conversation off quickly. "No Crux. Lucy would be preferable, but if you must call me something else…Princess is acceptable, for now. Oh and tell Virgo that if she keeps it up there will be no punishment…ever."

Crux graced them with a knowing smile and looked like he silently approved of her methods of…persuasion. Dealing with Virgo was a chore sometimes, but Lucy seemed to have it well in hand already. "I see. I will relay the message when I go back. Now, how may I help you, Princess?"

"Oh, I'm not entirely sure Crux. My body acted on its own and summoned you when Levy was talking about all the research she was doing to look up the symbol on the tablet there on the table beside you. It is a regular drug called ecstasy in this world, but it is laced with a magical spell distilled into liquid. Is there anything you can do about that?" Lucy looked up at Crux with pleading eyes. She just wanted to help, and hopefully this spirit could do something that would make this whole process easier on Levy and the Master.

Crux nodded. "I see. I curate and maintain the largest library on any plane, housed in the celestial spirit world. I am primarily used for research, as my abilities allow myself to access all the books that are stored there. I will look up this symbol for you, but I can already tell that it will take a long while, possibly a full day. I will take my leave now and contact you when I am finished. Farewell Princess." With another odd bow, Crux disappeared leaving only a trace of golden sparkles behind.

"Well, I guess that solves that mystery. Crux does research. Will that help you out, Levy?"

Levy seemed to be drooling at the thought of the numerous books that were held in the largest library in any universe. "Oh, Lu! That will be so helpful, and now I can split my time between the original spell and looking up where the other twelve zodiacs are for you."

' _Thank the Gods. If I'm to be on this team, I need to pull my weight. Thank you, Crux!_ ' Lucy sent a silent prayer up to her stars.

Erza leaned back in her chair, propping up her head with one hand. "Alright, I think we should all meet at the train station tomorrow morning at eight sharp. We will be travelling to the last place I heard about 'The Reaper' and the dark sect Eisenwald. Pack everything you will need for a maximum of two weeks of journey." Erza then glanced at the shoes on Lucy's feet. "Maybe you should think about investing in some comfortable running shoes. You never know when you might need to make a quick getaway or sprint after a suspect."

Giving a dismissing nod to his children, Markarov waved everyone out of his office except for Laxus and Erza. "Alright you two. I didn't want to classify this S-class, but if it isn't solved by the time I come home from the conference, I'll have to call Mystogan in to handle it. You know how hard it is to get a hold of him, and more people could be in danger because of it. So…be careful Erza. Lead them well."

Erza knew that the Master could count on her. She now had an incredibly strong team to back her up. ' _The Salamander, a Star Child, and an Ice King, that should be enough to take down these dark mages, right?_ '


	17. Two: Condense

All rights to Hiro Mashima

18+ Warning.

* * *

~ **Part Two: Condense** ~

 _Verb: to reduce to another and denser form, as a gas or vapour to a liquid or solid state._

* * *

Keys fumbled in clumsy fingers.

Skin burned under bruising lips.

Pleading words and moans filled the hallway. He was unsure if they would make it inside.

Her hand bunched in his shirt, gripping with a surprising amount of strength. His breath caught in the back of his throat, as the key found purchase.

She gasped as he slammed her against the back of the door. She hadn't even realised that he had opened it.

She needed air, desperately. His lips and tongue and _teeth_ were relentless against her skin.

Nothing was safe from his hands, not her hair, not her hips, and not her clothes.

A startling rip rent the air, her shirt was torn from her body. His patience was at an all-time low. She couldn't protest because the fact that he was so impatient lit a fire that curled through her, reaching the tips of her fingers and toes.

He moaned against her neck, his sharp canines scoring delicious paths of painful pleasure that made her shudder.

He _needed_ her.

Now.

He was a dragon. She was his treasure.

His to covet. His to protect. His to love.

His to revel in.

And so he took what he wanted, what he so desperately needed.

And she gave him more than he thought was worthy of him.

He was no one. He was just another man. He was a man who burned and destroyed everything he touched. But she… she was everything. She was a blazing star, a comet that came around only once in a lifetime. She was bright. She was light incarnate. She was a breath of fresh air in his life.

And he was a greedy Dragon, so he stole that falling star for himself. He would never let her go.

He was nothing without her.

She grasped the back of his head in a fit of possessiveness. She needed to feel his lips on hers again. They burned a path from the tops of her breasts, up her slender neck, and painfully slowly worked their way onto her waiting mouth yet again.

If she was a star that fell from heaven to be in his life, then he was a wildfire. Fiercely destructive by nature, but could be somewhat tamed. Not that she would ever try.

He _was_ fire. It could harm, but also protect, provide warmth for those who were foolish enough to get close.

She smouldered under his touches. Her blood turned to flames, her bones to ash, her skin to cinders. She had never felt anything so painfully right in her entire life.

He was hers. She was his.

Two halves of the same whole, finally after years of wandering alone, coming together in the most primal way imaginable. Connecting on a distinctly intimate level.

After tonight, they would know everything about the other. Every imperfection, every shadow, every hard plane and soft curve.

So they collided.

She, like a dying sun, turned supernova. The force of her exploded in every direction, she was almost blinding. He instead turned inwards, his flames burning hot a low.

Clothing was lost in a mad scramble to feel each other's skin, coverings were irrelevant now, modesty was long forgotten.

She wanted him to see all of her, sprawled out on her back on his duvet, golden hair shining in the dim light. He left his boxers on, he would let her take that last step, she was the one to dictate just how far they went this night.

His eyes raked over her body, hungrily, as if she was a feast to be devoured. He had seen most of her before, but now he could see absolutely everything. From her dusty pink peaks to the soft curling blonde hair above her centre, she was beautiful. Her curves _begged_ to be touched, to be held. He legs parted slightly, giving him a glimpse of her core.

A heady wave of her scent washed over him. She smelt like the darkest part of the night just before the dawn. He needed to know what that tasted like.

Kneeling in between her impossibly long legs, he trailed his fingers over the top of one of her feet, grasping her ankle. Lifting, he brought her creamy skin to his mouth and placed kisses along her calf to her thigh. He worshipped every inch. These legs brought her to him, they were sacred, just like every other part of her.

He never broke eye contact with her heated gaze. He could feel how her breathing hitched when he got closer to her apex. He could see her eyes fill with a wild look of lust.

But he wasn't done. So he started to lavish attention on her other leg, a smirk curling the edges of his mouth as she whined in the back of her throat. He knew the wait would be worth it.

She was panting and mewling by the time he reached her apex, her arousal obvious and her scent overwhelming.

He placed kisses on her swollen, glistening lips. They were feather light. A tease. A showcase of what was to come. He ran his flattened tongue up her slit, so very slowly. She bucked her hips once, but he forced her down onto the bed underneath her. He would be setting the pace for this part of the show.

The blush that had started on her cheeks ran down onto her chest. She wasn't ashamed about how much she wanted this man, oh how she wanted him. The pleasure he was giving her was almost too much, and he had barely even started.

Finally, _finally_ , he gave her what she had wanted for days but couldn't put into words. He was quenching her thirst, spurring on those flames inside her that had been building since the moment she met him.

His devilish tongue snaked its way into her slick core, twisting and turning, bringing her immeasurable pleasure. All she could do was hang on to his silky pink hair. She could feel something, a cord, possibly a spring deep within her body start to coil, what would happen when it snapped?

He had never tasted something so wonderful in his life. Fire would be the closest thing. But this taste, the taste of his mate, this was her condensed down to something…euphoric. It was like her smell, but more potent, more powerful.

Infinitely more dangerous.

He was hooked already. He was addicted. His own throbbing arousal was forgotten for the moment, he needed to watch her lose her composure completely.

He couldn't imagine anything more amazing than this taste on his tongue, as it circled her nub and delved deeper inside of her.

She could feel…something building inside of her. She had a faint idea of what it was, but she was in too deep to really think about it. The string pulled tighter as he slid a finger inside of her. The intrusion was different, but not unwelcome. It was new.

She liked new. It felt...wonderful. His mouth worked in tandem with his fingers, his tongue licked her sticky core. He was a starving man, hungrily devouring everything in his path until nothing was left.

He pushed another finger through her silky folds. Her moan of approval put a cocky smirk on his face. She was definitely enjoying this, as was he. Her walls started to tighten and flutter around his fingers, their constant push and pull rhythm speeding up as he felt her reach her end. He would push her there and over that cliff if it was the last thing he did on this earth.

He slammed his fingers into her once more at the same time as his mouth clamped down on her aching clit giving it a harsh suck.

She stilled for one moment, drawing in on herself, her mouth open in surprise.

Then, she exploded.

The string that had been pulled taught within her belly had finally snapped.

She screamed his name to the heavens, so they would know who her lover was, so they would know exactly who was giving her so much pleasure. Her world was disjointed. Dizzying patterns of light and shadow moved across her vision. She forgot where she was, who she was. All that was left was the feeling of a blazing fire burning through her veins, lighting up every nerve ending.

He had never seen anything so beautiful. She had shattered around him with a shrill yell. He never knew that his name could evoke so many feelings inside of him.

Pleasure.

Need.

Pride.

She was fulfilled because of him. No one else would ever see her like this, this was just another treasure for him to horde. Her arched back. Her eyes squeezed shut as if in pain. Her core clenching around him.

They were all his.

She slowly floated down from above the clouds, purring and moaning in pleasure as he licked up the spilt arousal from her thighs. She sighed in happiness, absolutely sated and completely at ease.

She glanced down at her Dragon and witnessed the single most erotic thing she had ever seen. Two piercing onyx eyes, black as the night, peering at her as he drank up her juices. It wasn't the act that had her heart thumping or her stomach clenching or her blood singing again. It was the look in those eyes. The fire in them was blazing.

Lust. Naked and hungry lust. Her Dragon was starving.

So she would feed him.

She guided him from between her legs, up her body. It was a slow process, as he lavished wet kisses on practically every inch, paying particular attention to her hips and her breasts. She tugged him up, her impatience growing with every pass of his tongue against her overheated body. He bit the junction of her neck and shoulder harshly, then soothed the inflamed skin with his tongue, as if in apology.

His rough treatment should have bothered her, but it didn't. He was her mate. She was his chosen. He was a beast, an animal, a primal being at the moment who only needed one thing.

Her.

She stole one last kiss from his lips, flicking her tongue against them. She could taste herself on him. Just that thought was enough to give her the courage to go through with what she had planned.

Pushing him down roughly onto the bed underneath her, she felt different, she felt powerful in a completely new way. She was in control now, she was the one to make him squirm, to make him _beg_.

It was her turn to taste him.

She slithered her naked body down his front, dragging her tongue past his pecs, down his stomach to dip into his belly button. The slightly salty taste of his skin was doing…interesting things to her womb, it was clenching with nothing inside, that felt incredibly unsatisfactory. He smelt like he always did, fresh like a pine woods, and spicy…almost like cloves. She reached the top of his boxers, her fingers curling over the top and pulled them off in one motion.

She had really never seen an aroused man in all his glory before, so she couldn't truly make a comparison, but she realised that it didn't really matter to her all that much. She could tell he was well endowed.

She was apprehensive of how it would fit inside her. Hopefully, she wouldn't split in half.

In a fit of meekness, she peeked up at him through her long lashes, almost bashful. His breathing hitched at the sultry sight of his mate spread between his legs, ever so close to the one place where no one but himself had ever touched. He watched as her tongue darted out to wet her lips, oh how he wanted those to be wrapped around him. He wanted that wet heat to surround him.

She saw only need and happiness warring on his expressive face, the darkness of his eyes pressing her onwards. He was ready for whatever she would do to him. She believed that this was long overdue.

She wrapped her dainty hand around the base, careful for the first moment as if he was made of glass. Testing the proverbial waters, she glided her hand up once, twice, and then again gripping harder each time as his moans and expletives grew louder.

Ready to try something new, she dipped her head down, her long hair creating a curtain of gold down her back. She licked the prominent vein that ran from the bottom to the top, feeling the silky skin on her tongue and tasting the musky masculinity that was entirely him.

A bead of his essence appeared. How would that taste? She assumed just like him.

She was right…and wrong at the same time. It tasted like how he smelled, just more…intense, deeper.

Finding that she quite liked it, she endeavoured to taste all of him. Guiding his throbbing member to her lips, she flicked her tongue over the tip, taking careful consideration of his flared head. She was attentive and slow, just as he had been with her.

The pressure was building for him. He could feel his need expanding within his belly. Her mouth was wonderful, but he wanted something else. His body craved to be inside of her in an entirely different way. They would have years to experiment with each other, but tonight was about the joining, the bonding.

He would just apologise later for taking her turn.

Surging up onto his knees, he tackled her onto the bed, garnering a surprised sound out of her.

"I need you. Now. No more waiting."

An understanding look flitted over her face. She understood she felt the same way.

He lined himself up against her, his eyes flicking up to hers. He needed to see her reaction to him, even if it was going to be one of pain. Everything she did was his to witness now and relive forever. He wouldn't miss a single moment, even if the devil himself came knocking at his door.

Brushing a single lock of flaxen hair behind one of her ears, he looked down to see if there was even a hint of hesitation on her face. He couldn't force this on her, she had to be one hundred percent sure that this, him, was what she wanted. For the rest of her life.

He saw nothing but blinding, all-encompassing love shining through. That was enough for him. He cupped one of her cheeks in his warm palm and pressed his forehead down onto hers.

"I love you, Luce. So damn much."

That was all the warning he gave her. In one fluid motion, he thrust himself into her to the hilt.

While he was in heaven, the ecstasy of her silken folds gripping him, she was in hell, his member stretching her to her limit. With her maidenhead broken, she could feel him inside of her, his warmth soothing the ache of her muscles that were struggling to adjust to his size.

He slowly pulled out, gauging her reaction. Hopefully, the pain would be gone by now. He could barely keep himself still, the feeling of her all around him was amazing. Now that he knew that his mate could feel this good, they would be doing this as often as possible. Hell, if they didn't have a mission tomorrow, he wouldn't have let her out of his bed for a full week.

With a low moan of his name, he realised that she was feeling as good as him now, the pain having faded behind the pleasure.

"Please…Natsu…"

That was all he needed to hear from her. Starting up a rougher pace, he pushed himself in and out of her, trying to keep his release at bay. She felt good. Too good. He needed her to reach that peak one more time before he let himself get swept away in his on end.

He captured a taut bud in his mouth, his tongue flicking over it, again and again, driving her wild. She had never felt so full, so fulfilled. Her whole body was on fire, the centre hotter than the rest.

The two halves of the whole were finally almost one.

"Let go Natsu, give me everything." Her plea for his Dragon to come out pushed him into a frantic pace, his hips slamming into hers as he growled and snarled swear words and strings of sentences that could be her name.

"Gods, Luce, you feel so good. I need to feel you come apart again." She almost obeyed his words. She just needed one more push to get over that plateau and onto that cliff. She wanted to fall over it, but she wanted to do it with him.

So she brought his face down in a searing kiss, it was messy and wet and _delicious_. "Only if you go with me, My Dragon. Come with me."

That was it for him, he couldn't take her voice in his ear or her core clenching so much it was almost painful. He held her hips in a bruising grip, certain that she would have purple and blue marks tomorrow. His thrusting turned wild, his rhythm was broken.

He roared her name as he came, shooting string after string of his essence into her, painting her inner walls. He leant forward and bit her, right over her collarbone. His magic swirling around inside of him was suddenly pushed out into the wound, instantly sealing it and trapping some of it inside her. His side of the bond was finished.

She felt his canines pierce her skin. It was painful but in a delightful way. It was just what she needed to plummet off that ledge that she had been teetering on for minutes, certain that she would die if she didn't get her release.

She screamed incoherent, garbled versions of his name as she came for the last time, as her nails broke the skin of his shoulders. Just as his was pushed into her, her magic did the same shooting into his blood stream, cauterising the wounds. There was nothing to show that it happened on either of them except for ten crescent-shaped scars on him, and four evenly spaced scars on her. Her side of the bond was also done.

Completely sated, and feeling quite boneless, he rolled off of her into the space at her side. He drew lazy patterns on her stomach as he waited for her to come back down to Earth.

She sighed happily. That was everything she had ever wanted and more. But sleep called her to its realm of dreams, and she drifted off curling her body into his side. "Love you…"

He stroked her hair tenderly, and a goofy smile lit up his face. "I love you too, you weirdo." She smelled like the perfect combination of them both, deep and dark as the night sky, but also a hint of his inherent spice. It was calming, but also invigorating. He drew up the covers over their tired, sweaty bodies and set the alarm to wake them tomorrow morning.

The bonding worked. He let sleep overtake him as his mind was finally put at ease.

She was his.

He was hers.

For the moment, everything was as it should be.


	18. Two: Dew

All rights to Hiro Mashima

This chapter is dedicated to **Moon Stone Tiger Lily** for all the wonderful reviews and comments. Thank you for making me smile today.

To answer everyone's questions about her sisters…Lucy talked to Sorano like two and half days ago on the phone. Don't worry. They'll make an appearance sooner or later, don't forget, Lucy was supposed to come home this morning, or at least contact them…I wonder if her sisters are getting worried?

* * *

~ **Part Two: Dew** ~

 _Noun: moisture condensed from the atmosphere, especially at night, and deposited in the form of small drops upon any cool surface_

* * *

Waking up to an alarm clock was a new experience for Lucy. She had never had a need for it in her old house. She had no set wake up time, no school to attend on a regular basis, no real obligations except for on Saturdays and Sundays. But even then, she would wake when the mood shook her.

Or, when her sisters demanded that she make them lunch if she slept in late enough, although that happened rarely.

The blaring noise was…disturbing in all honesty. Shooting straight up in bed – dislodging a miffed Happy off her lap in her haste – she groped blindly in the semi-darkness to hit the demon alarm clock.

Quickly finding the snooze button, Lucy slumped back onto the bed in exhaustion. ' _That was too much excitement first thing in the morning. I think I'll go back to sleep for a couple more days._ '

Natsu had woken up to a delightful sight. A naked Lucy swinging away at his digital clock on his bedside table like her life depended on it. Her full breasts in plain sight and an adorable scrunch of frustration upon her sleepy face. Her hair a ratty bird's nest was sitting like a crown on top of her head.

She was absolutely glorious.

As she huffed and groaned and tried to get comfortable again, he snaked his arm around her middle while rubbing nonsensical patterns on her curvy waist. "Good morning Luce. Sleep well?"

She shifted her amber eyes his way and a slow smile slipped onto her lips. "Morning Natsu. Oh yes, I slept well. I seem to remember I was exhausted last night for some reason, can't really put my finger on it at the moment. You wouldn't happen to know why that was, would you?"

' _So she wants to play this morning? I can work with that._ ' Natsu smiled darkly at her while shifting Lucy closer to his own equally naked form under the sheets. Their legs tangled together, while the beginnings of what could be called 'morning wood' prodding her soft thigh. "I have a few ideas, _Princess_. Would you like me to refresh your memories?" He purred in her ear, his hands circling to grab handfuls of the most delicious ass on the planet.

Lucy moaned against the hard planes of Natsu's broad chest. "Gods yes. Make me remember _my Dragon_."

A distinctly devilish smirk crept up onto his face. "Gladly Luce. You know I will always –"

BEEP BEEP BEEP

The blaring was back. As was the annoyance. The mood was officially broken at the worst sound that had ever been invented filled the room. Lucy could understand why most people were bitchy in the morning if they woke up to that noise.

Lucy rolled over and growled at the stupid clock that she deemed the worst creation on Earth. She stuck a pillow over her head. Her muffled voice reached Natsu a moment later. "Turn that fucking thing off Natsu before I have Virgo come out and punish it."

Grumbling about how his own clock was cock blocking him, Natsu just unplugged the damn thing and chucked it into the corner of his room ' _Gods fucking damn it. I was this fucking close to being inside Nirvana again!_ '

With sad eyes, Natsu watched Lucy stumble towards his bathroom to start her morning routine, her undressed form swaying and her ass looking amazing in the early light. He huffed and ran his hands up and down his face, blowing out a petulant breath. ' _Might as well start the damn coffee…Stupid mission. Stupid alarm. ARGH, stupid blue balls._ ' Natsu glanced at the offending clock sitting against the wall closest to him, all innocent and unassuming. He couldn't help but wonder just how nice it would feel if he lit it on fire and watched it melt into a puddle.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

Lucy was witnessing a disturbing phenomenon. The boisterous and bouncy Natsu that she was used to was slowly ebbing away into a sweaty, nervous mess, his forehead looked like it had morning dew sticking to it. Every step they took towards the train station, he seemed to get slightly paler and even whinier.

She had no idea what to make of the situation. ' _Maybe he doesn't want to see Gray this early in the morning?_ ' When she voiced her opinion, all she got back was a noncommittal grunt that was neither a yes nor a no. So Lucy let it go for now and started to search the black hole known as her purse for the correct amount of jewels to purchase both her and Natsu's tickets.

An errant thought breached her forebrain. "Natsu…who's going to watch Happy while we're gone? We'll be away for at least a week! How is he going to eat?"

Natsu looked away from a frantic Lucy towards the pavement. "Uhm, I have it all figured out Luce. No worries. What do you think I did before when I was on missions? Bring him with me? Cause I would never do that."

Lucy looked at the shifty Natsu. He was lying. She was sure of it. Honestly, he wasn't very good at it.

"You brought him with us didn't you?"

He nodded once.

"He's in your backpack, isn't he?"

Another nod.

"Alright…I don't think pets are allowed on trains. Actually, I know they are not if they aren't in a carrying case. Just…keep him hidden for now? I guess?"

Natsu smiled toothily and nodded his head vigorously. "Yah, sure. No problem. How do you know if pets aren't allowed or not if you've never had one?"

"I'm Lucy Heartfilia. My father owns most of the transportation in Fiore. Or he did before he went missing. I guess I own all the railroads now...technically. He was legally declared dead years ago."

Natsu pulled her into a tight hug; his discomfort was forgotten. He knows what it's like to grow up without parents. She had her sisters, and he had the guild, so they weren't entirely alone. But now they had each other, and their bond was as solid as stone, broken only by death.

"I know that he isn't dead Natsu. He's out there somewhere. I just know it. Just like your father. We'll find them sometime." She sniffled slightly and smiled a watery smile as he answered with his own grin.

"I know Luce. Keep the faith, right? Let's get going; Erza will castrate me if we are late for this mission. She'll only slightly maim you, so it'll be alright I guess." Natsu grimaced, remembering her 'tough love' growing up. Erza was a hard woman to like.

Lucy tugged on his arm. "Well, let's get going then eh?"

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"Wait…You have motion sickness? Seriously? Of all the things to bring down a Dragon…" Lucy finally found out just why Natsu had been acting weird. One reason was that he had Happy stashed under a pile of shirts in his backpack, and another was that they left too early in the day to stop by the guild to have Wendy cast 'Troia' on him to help him with the symptoms of his motion sickness.

"Urghh…" Natsu was trying to tell Lucy to shut up and help instead of pitying him, but it came out in a strained gurgle instead. So he stopped trying and slumped back down onto his seat.

"I know right? Pathetic. I can't believe this is the guy you want to be with Lucy." Gray had arrived minutes earlier and purchased his ticket, now joining them in a semi-filled car. He couldn't not take the chance at bashing the almost unconscious Salamander across from him. "The train isn't even moving you Flaming Fuck. Gods, you know it's all in your head right?"

Lucy rolled her eyes as Natsu tried to rebut Gray's underhanded remarks, but only succeeded in falling onto the floor, face smashing into the dirty carpet. She helped him back into his seat and laid Natsu's pink head into her lap and threaded her fingers through his hair. Hopefully, this would help alleviate some of his pain and settle his swirly stomach. "Gray, enough. He can't even fight back like this. Why would you kick a man when he's down?"

Gray scoffed and gestured to a now half asleep, _purring_ Natsu. "Look at him Luce. He's like a giant cat. Not a Dragon like this. How it _that_ sexy exactly?"

Natsu had just enough presence of mind left to snarl darkly at Gray. Luce was what he called his Lucy. That was his name for the celestial mage.

Lucy paid Natsu's possessiveness no mind. Instead, she grinned slyly at the half-naked ice mage. "I think he's cute like this. Shows that he has another side to him other than the happy go lucky Fire Dragon Slayer that we all know. One that relies on another person."

Natsu grinned inside his head, on the cusp of sleep. Lucy's hands were working wonders on his stomach and nerves.

"And I can assure you, Gray. Natsu is very sexy, especially with no clothes on." Lucy blushed slightly at her bold statement and fingered the mating mark upon her collar bone self-consciously, but her fierce gaze didn't waver an inch.

Natsu snorted quietly. ' _Of course, I'm sexy without any clothes on, so is Lucy…_ ' He quickly lost himself in his fantasies that consisted of food combined cleverly with a particular naked Star Child.

Her hand grazing the four punctures that she received last night in the throes of passion drew Gray's dark eyes to notice them. "What's with the scars Lucy? Did you always have those? I don't remember seeing those before."

"Oh, these? Have you ever seen Levy's mating mark?"

Gray's face paled considerably, and he could feel himself getting agitated. "Yah, why? Wait did that idiot actually bite you? What the fuck?"

"Natsu and I bonded last night. This is his mark on me…" She shifted the collar to the side of Natsu's neck so that Gray could see some of the nail marks that she gave Natsu last night. "…and these are the marks that he received from me. As far as I know, skin must be broken so that magic can mingle in the other person's blood. It sealed up right away."

"Wait…you…Natsu…sex?" Gray choked out, entirely uncomfortable with this conversation and annoyed at the mental pictures of this stunning blonde being serviced by his rival. His mind was spinning. Gray really had no chance with this goddess at all. Life was sometimes too cruel. ' _Fuck that's disgusting to think about._ '

A welcomed distraction came in the form of Erza toting an entire strawberry cake in a special carrier. "Ah, so you have completed the bond? This is most fortunate I think. Bonded mates work very well together, and this mission will be a fantastic test of your joint skills." She looked at the prostate form of Natsu draped over Lucy's lap, snoring away oblivious to the world around him. "Strange; usually his motion sickness prevents him from sleeping at all on any form of transportation. It seems that you are good for him Lucy."

"Thanks, Erza. Can I ask you about that? Natsu never mentioned to me about having motion sickness." Lucy shifted the heavy Dragon Slayer to a more comfortable position so her legs would stop falling asleep.

Erza sliced a piece of cake for herself and dug out a fork from her purse as well as a plate. "It's not just him, as far as we can tell, all Dragon Slayers get motion sickness, except for Wendy. Even the artificial ones like Laxus get it. Wendy thinks it has something to do with their heightened senses and the fact that their equilibrium was attuned to riding on Dragons and not trains and such. Dragon Slayers have no problem with motion if they believe what they are riding on are friends, like horses or things of that nature. So, I think it's really only in their head." Erza shrugged at the end of her explanation and divvied up another piece of cake, taking a large bite and humming happily.

"So that's why Laxus, Gajeel, and Natsu walked up all those flights of stairs in the Everlue building instead of taking the elevator when they were coming after me. Gods, that is just so weird. He has the strangest problem. Anyway, Erza, want to tell us anything more about where we are going or what this mission will entail?"

Setting her now empty plate to the side for the moment, Erza clasped her hands together in her lap. "Of course. Now please, listen carefully. We are on our way to Onibus Station. This was the last place I had heard any chatter about the dark mages known collectively as 'Eisenwald' and the drug 'Lullaby.' We will need to search around for any clues or any magical pressures that seem out of the ordinary. We will coordinate in teams. Lucy, you will obviously be with Natsu. This will be a good test of just how strong your bond is. Gray and I will go looking together."

At this moment, Happy popped his blue head out of the backpack that he had been snoozing soundly in. Erza bowed her head in acknowledgement. "It looks like Happy will go with your team Lucy. He never goes on a mission without that cat does he?"

Lucy just shook her head and giggled at the look on Erza's face as Happy brushed himself against the redhead's legs, purring like a tiny jet engine.

Lucy's phone made a noise, startling her out of watching an awkward Erza try to pet Happy.

 _Sora_ : Lucy darling! You said you would be home this morning! Where the hell are you? Yuki and I miss you lots…

 _Lucy_ : I miss you lots too! I met some amazing new people and made lots of friends…and there is this guy Sora…I'm in love…

 _Sora_ : Is this your mystery man? I have to meet him sometime. Bring him up to the house the next chance you get. And don't worry about the house for one weekend. Yuki and I can deal with the cleaning for one day. You work too hard. Go crazy. Have some fun

 _Lucy_ : Thank you! I'll definitely bring Natsu the next moment we have free. Love you! And Yuki too of course!

Lucy chuckled at her sister's antics as she stashed her phone back into her giant purse. They really were amazing. Now she didn't have any guilt at all going on this mission and knew that the house that she swore she would maintain would still get cleaned. Her promise wouldn't be broken. She leant back and watched the trees and hills whiz past the window, her mind a million miles away sitting among the stars.

Their plan set, all the mages could do was sit and wait for the train to reach their destination, and try to get Happy to go back into the backpack.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"Sora…she needs to know. We can't keep this a secret much longer from Lucy."

"I know Yuki. We will tell her everything she wants to know and more when she comes home. I want her to live a little before we crush her beliefs. Let her be in love with a man without some weird destiny hanging over her for a while."

"And the keys…?"

"Aye, we will show her the keys too, just as we will show her the necklaces. Just wait a bit longer, everything will come out into the open sooner or later."

"Alright Sora, if you're sure about this."

"I am."

"Can you feel it? The darkness? It's creeping up again…"

"I know. I can feel it Yuki. It won't be much longer until it drowns us all."


	19. Two: Surf

All rights to Hiro Mashima

* * *

~ **Part Two: Surf** ~

 _Noun: the mass or line of foamy water caused by the breaking of the sea upon a shore, especially a shallow or sloping one_

* * *

"Something smells weird."

Just before the train pulled into the station, Natsu had uttered one sentence, his sickness giving way to his suspicion. Only Lucy paid any attention to him, Gray and Erza were too busy gathering luggage and guiding a hissing Happy back into Natsu's backpack to pay too much mind.

Lucy knew better, though, if Natsu was uneasy, she was too. In just a short amount of time, she had learned to trust her gut, and her gut – while rolling with nerves – was screaming at her to listen to her mate. "What do you mean Natsu? What smells weird?"

He scrunched his nose up, trying to place the _weirdness_ that caught his nose. He sifted through the starlight and lilac smell of Lucy, the wintery cold of Gray, the absurd sweet candy smell of Erza, and the warmness of Happy to settle on one smell that shouldn't be there at all.

The smell of darkness.

This wasn't the same as the deep smell of Lucy, who smelt like the space between the stars, sharp and comforting. This was something else. Something wrong. It honestly burnt his nostrils and sent his stomach into fits with a new wave of nausea.

The smell…it was moving towards them. It was inherently wrong. Nothing should smell this black. It was like it didn't exist but also did. It was frigid cold but at the same time blazing hot like overheated iron.

His instincts were blaring at him. Something was coming for them.

"Lucy, it smells…wrong. Black. Dark. It's coming closer." Lucy nodded at his explanation, trusting Natsu and his super senses, they really did come in handy sometimes.

The train pulled into the station, and they all stood up from their seats, except Natsu who needed a few moments to shake off the effects of the transportation. Gain his sea legs, so to speak.

Grabbing Erza's hand, she gestured to her and Natsu's luggage. "Could you give a few minutes guys? Would you mind taking out luggage out with us, so we don't forget?"

Gray shakes his head. "Yah, whatever. I don't want him puking on my shoes so take all the time you need."

Erza and Gray take their leave with Natsu's backpack – now filled with Happy – bouncing atop the other carry-on luggage that they had.

Lucy rubs soothing circles on Natsu's back, trying to bring him back to the world as painlessly as possible. "Is this helping Natsu? I really don't have any idea if any of this is working."

The Dragon in question just nods his head as a small smile drifts onto his worried face. "Thanks, Luce. It is helping. I think I'll be alright now, let's get back to the others, I don't want that stupid Popsicle to hurt Happy or something."

With an exaggerated eye roll, Lucy hauls the pink haired man out of his seat to steady him on his feet, and they start to venture towards the sliding doors. "Yah. Because Gray would do something to Happy just to get back at you for your petty insults." The sarcasm rolls off her tongue easily.

"You never know Luce. Gray's a shifty bastard. I wouldn't put it passed him to steal him away or someth-" Natsu cuts himself off abruptly, throwing his arm out to halt Lucy, as the disgusting smell that was there but also _not_ there slams into his nose with the force of a raging bull.

Lucy bumped into Natsu's back as he stopped in the middle of his sentence as well as in the midst of the row of seats. "Natsu…what's going on?" She could see the tension in his back and shoulders. Her muscles wound up in anticipation of his answer.

"The smell, it's back. Get ready."

Her hands instantly reached down to brush against her keys, mentally telling them to be ready for anything. An answering warmth was all she got, but it was enough for her to steal her nerves. Lucy watched as Natsu breathed deeply, scenting the air, then whipped his head around to the end of the car they were standing in.

They both peered into the shadows. ' _Wait…shadows?_ ' Bewildered, Lucy tugged on Natsu's shirt sleeve. "Natsu, it's the middle of the day. The sun is out, and the lights are all on. How are there shadows over there?" Her hand shakes slightly as she points this fact out Natsu.

To answer her question, a voice sounds from _within_ the swirling, moving shadows. They just _looked_ evil.

"You know, you're much smarter than you look. Fairy Tail flies."

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

As the train that Erza and Gray were on slowly picked up speed, moving away from the station, the two mages – plus Happy – look around the empty platform for a head of pink or golden hair. Unable to find his friends, Gray texts Lucy's phone in hopes of finding them somewhere. After a moment of waiting, Gray shakes his head. ' _Did they really miss the stop?_ '

"What the fuck is going on? Did they stay on the train?" Gray runs his hand through his hair. ' _Stupid Natsu and his stupid motion sickness!_ ' Gray watched as the train got smaller and he sighed in resignation. There was really nothing that he could do about all of this. ' _Erza's going to kill them dead._ '

At least that thought put a happy smile on his face. He couldn't wait to see the almighty Titania smash Salamander into the ground again.

Erza was fuming, her face an angry shade of puce that clashed magnificently with her long scarlet hair. She turned towards the disappearing train. "I would expect this behaviour from Natsu, but not Lucy. I am very disappointed in them. They will make us lose valuable time, the time we could be using to look for 'The Reaper' and his band of idiotic followers."

As the train rounds the bend, a blast of golden magic blows the side off of the last train car, the same car that they had last seen their friends.

"Shit! That was Lucy's magic! SHIT SHIT SHIT!" Gray scrambles to collect all their bags and drags a confused Erza towards the stall that rents out cars to travellers. "Come on Erza! They're in trouble! Lucy would never use her magic like that, she knows the repercussions of showing it to regular people…"

Erza had caught up to his reasoning. She speeds through the process of obtaining an SUV and slides into the driver's seat with Gray riding shotgun, a look of determination on both their faces.

"Gray, do you know how to drive this thing?"

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

' _Gods this guy is fast! I need a distraction so I can come at him from two fronts. Those shadows are relentless!_ ' Lucy quickly throws together a haphazard plan, plucking a single golden key off her ring while dodging yet another shadow snake.

As soon as the train had started up again, Natsu had been down for the count, falling onto the floor in a puddle that was formally known as the Fire Dragon Slayer. It was now up to Lucy to subdue this crazy-eyed moron named Kageyama in front of her and protect the prone form of Natsu behind her.

"OPEN! GATE OF THE GOLDEN BULL, TAURUS!"

With a soothing doorbell noise, a gigantic bull wielding an equally impressive double headed axe shimmered into existence, smirking at the stunned expression on the face of the dark mage. "Hellooo Princess Luuuucy. Don't worry, I'll protect that beauuuutiful body of yours." Taurus was apparently averse to using her actual name as well as being a slight pervert. Lucy would address Taurus' blatant ogling later, right now they were in the middle a delicate situation that was becoming more deadly by the minute.

"Let's go Taurus!" Gold was starting to bleed into Lucy's eyes as her magical energy began to rise. It was time to protect her family.

Sending one last wink at the Star Child, Taurus brought down his axe towards Kageyama, the weight of the weapon not impeding Taurus' speed in the least. Although the attack didn't directly land a hit, the mage in question had to quickly dissolve his body into the surrounding shadows to make an exit to avoid being sliced. The resulting impact from Taurus' blunt force created a sizeable crater as well as it ripped up the floorboards of the train car and blew out one side so that they were now only three walls instead of four.

"Shit." Lucy made a mental note not to call on Taurus unless she was outside or it was an emergency. He was just way to destructive for enclosed spaces. A grimace made its way onto her face as Lucy planted herself directly in front of Natsu, creating a shield with her body.

Natsu could only watch as Lucy defended him as he cursed himself to the pits of hell as well as his damn motion sickness. His mate was fighting for his life _and_ hers at the same time. He should be beside her, not laying on the floor in a boneless heap. His stomach roiled once again, and a whimper crawled up his throat.

Kageyama popped up on the opposite side of the train car, systematically throwing daggers made of darkness and shadow both Taurus and Lucy. Taurus deflected most of them with the face of his axe, although some did make their mark causing the large spirit to bellow in pain. The dark mage just laughed, throwing insults around and yelling about how they would never defeat their sect or someone named 'Erigor.'

"NO! TAURUS!" It was time to either end this or get the hell out of there. "You will pay for injuring my friend! Taurus, go back please, thank you for your help!" The bull disappeared in a flash of golden light with an apologetic look on his face. Lucy's magical pressure increased again with the depth of her rage.

"Star Dress, Cancer form!"

A brand etched itself onto her skin as her outfit was exchanged once again for another. A short Kimono and thigh high stockings appeared, while Lucy's hair was pulled into two high pigtails.

Two sharp thick swords materialised in her hands, which she wielded like a seasoned expert. ' _Cancer would be so proud._ ' Time to get down to business.

"Let's end this you fucker!" Apparently, trash talk was in her repertoire when she was listening to her instincts. Surging forward, Lucy used the element of surprise to land a couple solid blows onto her opponent, his hiss of pain giving Lucy immense pleasure.

Surprised, Kageyama lost his footing for a moment and dropped a long thin piece of wood with a skull at the top onto the destroyed floor of the car. The skull had three eyes.

Lucy made the mistake of looking towards the creepy flute on the floor for a moment. Her distraction was her undoing as Kageyama shot a large sure of shadows at her, faster than she could comprehend. She only had time to throw her hands up in front of her, crossing her blades to shield her face from the onslaught. It knocked her off her feet and sent her flying into the back of the train. Lucy hit the mostly intact wall with a dull 'thud' and a groan of pain.

She was definitely not used to pain yet.

' _I can't protect Natsu and take out this guy at the same time! I'm too new at this. I have to level the playing field somehow, or escape._ ' Lucy eyed the advancing mage nervously, her previously courage all but evaporated in the face of her doubt. She made an executive decision to get the hell off this train now and take her revenge later when Natsu was up and watching her back. He would no doubt like his own crack at Kageyama for putting his mate in danger.

She flung both of her swords at Kageyama with deadly precision, creating the opening that she needed to change her Star Dress, seeing as the shadow mage was forced to dodge both projectiles to avoid being hit in the chest and thigh respectively.

"Star Dress, Taurus form!"

As she suspected, with this form, her strength exploded within her, and she was able to now haul a groaning Natsu over her shoulder in a fireman's lift and dart towards the opening.

"No…Luce…What…" Natsu couldn't even get a full sentence out as he finally lost consciousness, the swaying of the train too much for his body.

Kageyama was cackling now. "You will never win you pathetic Fairy Tail flies! Run now while you have a chance to live!"

Lucy's Taurus form was wavering, weariness and exhaustion washing over her as her eyes started to close. She was so damn tired. Lucy grits her teeth in frustration. ' _I have to stay strong! People are counting on me! Natsu is counting on me!'_ After a second of hesitation, Lucy jumped out of the speeding train curling herself around Natsu to protect him from the inevitable impact of the ground.

As they were falling, her Star Dress winked out of existence as her regular clothing revealed themselves once again. The blackness was creeping up on her, so she let herself get swept away. The last thing she heard was a strangled yell of her name.

Then…nothing.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"Can't this thing go any faster Erza? We need to help Lucy!"

Erza glanced sharply at her co-pilot in this ridiculously bulky car, this design was not optimal for a high-speed car chase, never mind a high-speed car chase of a train. "Shut up Gray! We are gaining ground, but slowly. Have faith in Lucy's abilities. You saw how she reacted yesterday when I threatened Natsu…she can take care of herself for the time being. We need to help them _both_." Gray's unhealthy fixation on a bonded mate was going to come around and bite him in the ass sometime soon, but Erza needed to focus her mind, she would chat with the idiot of an ice mage later.

Gray could only nod, distracted by the train they were slowly coming up to. A brilliant idea forced its way into his mind, and he started to punch all the buttons on the dash, looking for a specific one. Finally finding it, he turned towards Erza who had a questioning look on her beautiful face. For an answer, Gray pointed up to where the sunroof was slowly sliding back. "I'll pull them off that train if I have to. Just keep driving."

Gray climbed through the opening and sat on the SUV's roof, his body rigid and ready for action. He could feel his ice magic trickling down towards his hands in preparation for a fight. He glanced back towards the train and glimpsed a swirl of blonde hair and an explosion of gold. Lucy was fighting, and she looked experienced and more importantly, she was fighting smart, every move calculated and focused.

He watched her throw her elongated daggers at the man across from her then change her star dress into one that had a distinctly western in style. Lucy then picked up Natsu over her shoulder and glanced at the opening in the car, apparently thinking something over as the dark mage laughed and yelled something that got lost in the wind.

Gray realised too late what she was planning to do. "SHIT! Erza! She's gonna jump off the goddamn train!"

Erza gunned it, coaxing all the speed she could out of the stupid vehicle, growling all the while about aerodynamics.

Suddenly, Lucy leapt out of the train car, plummeting towards the earth, her outfit disappearing. "LUCCCCCYYYY!" Gray could see that they weren't going to make it, Lucy was moving too fast off the train and they were still too far away to catch them. So he came up with a last ditch effort and launched himself off the top of the car towards them as Erza slammed on the breaks pushing him that little bit further.

"ICE MAKE SLIDE"

His hands weren't in the right form to create anything from his ice magic, but at the moment, he didn't really care. All that mattered was that his friends were falling through the air and he needed to slow their descent to the hard, unforgiving ground. Broken bones were a bitch to deal with when Wendy wasn't there to heal them.

A gradually sloping, haphazard slide was built out of solid ice, sparkling and glinting in the early afternoon light. Natsu – with Lucy wrapped around him – hit his slide and slid down onto the ground, towards a waiting Erza. Gray created another slide for himself and slid down it on his feet, surfing on the slick surface.

Neither of his friends were moving, and Gray could only watch as Erza placed a hand to their pulse points on their necks, checking to see if their heartbeats were strong.

"Thank the Gods, they will be fine. They are just knocked out, I believe that Lucy passed out because she has no magic energy left." Erza sighed, happy that they were at least alive and in relatively one piece, although Lucy was sporting a massive purple bruise across her thighs and upper arms. Natsu would not be happy about this and obviously blame himself. "Come on Gray, get Natsu into the car. We can rest in a hotel in town and wait for them to awaken. We shall create a plan of attack then and listen to their story about what happened on the train later."

Holding off his questions for the moment, Gray hefted Natsu into his arms, cringing at the overwhelming heat that his body produced. Gray liked the cold better after all. "Alright. Let's go then, there's no time to waste."


	20. Two: Downpour

All rights to Hiro Mashima

* * *

~ **Part Two: Downpour** ~

 _Noun: a heavy, drenching rain_

* * *

A deep groan and a couple of choice expletives shook Erza out of her stupor. She watched at Natsu rolled over on one of the two beds, arm flung out as it groped around for…something. The something he was looking for was probably the Star Child that was dozing peacefully in the second bed.

She and Gray had successfully made reservations in a tiny motel on the outskirts of town. She had left Gray to book the rooms – threatening his ability to procreate should he strip any of his clothes off in front of the civilian behind the counter – and lifted both Lucy and a stupidly heavy Natsu over her shoulders towards the newly acquired room.

This had left both of the awake mages to quietly contemplate their navels while they waited. The silence between Erza and Gray wasn't awkward, it was more…contemplative. Erza had pulled out one of her many swords from her pocket of space she controlled to polish it. ' _This discolouration is certainly persistent._ ' Erza would conquer every obstacle in her path, even if it were a spot of rust.

She was the Titania after all. 'Quit' wasn't in her vocabulary.

She had watched Gray as he watched Lucy while she peacefully slept off the symptoms of magical depletion, which included headaches, body and muscle weakness, and the most obvious one – no magic to speak of. Erza frowned, her pretty face marred with the downturn of her lips. "Gray, you need to let this go. This…infatuation…whatever it is that you have with Lucy is not healthy. You know that Natsu will not relinquish his hold on her, even in death. It will only cause you pain, both emotionally and physically." She knows that Lucy is special to Natsu, just as Lucy was now special to Erza herself. She could definitely see the curvy blonde becoming a pseudo-sister to her very quickly.

Gray huffed out a stale breath. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about Titania. I don't have an infatuation with Lucy."

"Of course you don't. And Master doesn't have porn magazines stashed in the bottom drawer of his desk."

A grunt from the ice mage was the only answer that she had received and they had lapsed into a thick silence again for a few more hours.

Until Natsu seemed to be coming back from unconsciousness.

The Dragon Slayer cracked open one eye. He was…confused mostly about where he was. He could clearly see both Erza and Gray seated across from each other on two couches. Then a stupid amount of pain slammed into his brain. ' _Gods, what the hell happened?_ '

"Good. You are awake. What can you remember?" Erza peered over the back of her couch, a hard look in her eyes.

That was a good question, though. What did he remember? ' _Train station, Happy, Erza's cake, Lucy's lap, Shadow Mage…_ '

Natsu shot straight up in the bed disregarding the wooziness he felt in his head from sitting up too fast and frantically looking around. His instincts were on high alert. "Where the hell is Lucy!?"

A grumble and a highly exaggerated eye roll had come from Gray before he pointed to the bed beside Natsu's. "She's right there. Calm down you pyro…"

"Shit! Luce! Is she okay? What happened?" Natsu scrambled quickly out of his bed towards his mate. A low whine broke up his multitude of questions as he watched her chest rise and fall under the sheet she was tucked into. A napping Happy was situated protectively over her abdomen, and Natsu felt a surge of pride that his friend had taken such a liking to Lucy so quickly.

"Fuck! I'll kill that shadow bastard for even threatening to harm her."

Erza gently placed a hand on his shoulder as Natsu fretted over Lucy like a cross between a concerned parent and distraught lover. "Calm yourself Natsu. Lucy is just suffering from magic depletion syndrome. Her body is currently gathering more magic from the air around her. She will be just fine in due time. All she has are some deep bruising that Wendy will heal when we get home if they aren't already gone by then."

"Bruises? What do you mean?" Erza peeled back the covers from Lucy's prone form, revealing the almost black bands of damaged tissue that wrapped around the celestial mages upper arms and thighs.

A low hissing came from Natsu, a clear warning to all present that he was more than just displeased. He reached out with a careful hand and brushed over the bruise on Lucy's bicep. "Shit. I should have been able to protect her, I should have been there with her, fighting next to her, watching her back! Not on the floor with motion sickness!"

Natsu was utterly distraught. His mate was harmed, and he watched as it happened and couldn't even muster up the strength to help her in any way! ' _Goddamn, my stupid condition._ '

"Oi, shut up you idiot. Lucy will be perfectly fine. She is new to magic and everything that has to do with it, but she fought well and protected your flaming ass while you just laid on the ground. Give her some credit, won't yah? It's just a couple of fucking bruises…don't be such damn baby."

Growling a warning at Gray, Natsu opened his mouth to rip into the self-proclaimed 'IceKing' that had the _utter gall_ to even presume to know anything about how the bond worked when a soft groan came from below them.

Lucy was finally waking up.

"Where's Natsu? Is he okay?" Lucy was worried. The last thing she could remember was plummeting off a train towards the ground. She had moved around Natsu to protect his form, but she didn't remember actually hitting the dirt. ' _Fuck, I blacked out again didn't I?_ '

Natsu knelt on Lucy's bed and lifted a hand to cup her cheek, his warmth a huge comfort to her at this moment. "Oh thank the Gods, you're okay! Wait…how are we okay? What the hell happened?"

Natsu stole a lingering kiss from her lips, his eyes darting over her face as if checking if she was truly alright, then turned towards the two other people in the room while shifting Lucy to sit in his lap. Lucy smiled up at him and slowly stroked one of his large warm arms that were holding her tight to his torso.

A still sleeping Happy – despite being jostled around – was sprawled across Lucy's legs now, occasionally kicking in his sleep.

Erza proceeded to explain how Gray and she had caught up to the train and watched as Lucy had jumped off the side of it. "It was a reckless thing to do, but the circumstances demanded quick action. I am proud of you Lucy for knowing when to bow out of a fight."

Lucy blushed prettily at that, waving away Erza's praise as Natsu kissed the top of her golden head. "I did what I thought was right. I don't know my spirits well enough yet to protect myself and Natsu at the same time."

"I am still very impressed with your abilities thus far. I believe that it was a very good choice on my part to ask you to come with us." Erza's smug tone wasn't lost on anyone in the room. Natsu and Gray rolled their eyes discreetly as to not incur the demon's wrath. "Well, let's move on, shall we? What exactly happened on the train after we got off?"

As Natsu had been almost in a comatose state, Lucy told the story about her confronting the shadow mage that they now knew as 'Kageyama.' Her summoning of Taurus the Bull as a way to provide a distraction so that she could put a plan together. Using her Cancer Stardress for speed and accuracy. She told them about how she received the bruises – which honestly throbbed a little, but she was a Fairy Tail mage now, and a bit of discomfort wouldn't faze her – and then making the executive decision to get the hell off that train by any means necessary.

"…and so I jumped. All I could think about was getting away from Kageyama and his stupid shadows. Oh, wait…one more thing, the leader seems to be a guy named Erigor."

Erza filed away this knowledge in the back of her mind to let it fester for a while. She had heard that name before but couldn't put her finger on it at the moment.

Natsu brushed his fingers up over her bruises again, an apologetic look in his eyes. "Luce…I'm so sorry I wasn't there to back you up."

Just as she had waved away Erza's praise, Lucy waved away Natsu's apology. "It wasn't anything that you could control, right? Anyway, it was only a couple of small bruises. You can take a crack at Kageyama the next time we see him. I bet you would love to teach him a thing or two about how to properly treat your mate…wouldn't you?"

A sly smile crept up onto Natsu's face as he bent down and nipped at Lucy's lips. "You know what? I think I would Luce. You know me so well…"

A fake gagging noise interrupted their loving moment. It seemed that Gray wasn't at all pleased with watching Natsu and Lucy be intimate right in front of his face. "Alright, can we just make a plan for the next week? I want to get this over with so I can go home."

Erza shook her head in exasperation. ' _Men, so impatient._ '

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

The plan was a simple one. Break off into two teams and search everywhere with odd magical signatures or anything else that was significantly suspicious. Natsu and Lucy – with Happy in Lucy's messenger bag - took the East half of the city, while Gray and Erza took the West.

After four days of looking around, and two false alarms that involved mages that were involved in a heist of sorts downtown, the group was fed up with how slowly this mission was progressing.

As the fifth day was coming to a close, an exciting development arrived in the form of a giant slumbering cross. It seemed that Crux was finished his research that he had started in Makarov's office and was ready to relay his findings, even though his arrival startled Lucy into shrieking.

She hadn't really expected one of her spirits to just show up in the shower with her, after all. Thank the Gods Crux had arrived already slumbering and that Natsu had been out picking up their take-out order.

None of them had extra money to waste on repairing the bathroom if Natsu had found out about the impromptu visitor. His rage was only matched by Erza's when he felt there was an injustice, and throw his overprotective nature over his new mate…they were truly lucky indeed. Trying to explain spontaneous motel combustion was a bitch.

When Lucy had recovered from her initial shock and situated herself – now fully clothed – and her spirit outside in the living room, Crux gave a great snorting shout, apparently indicating that he was now awake.

"Ah, Princess. I have found the information that you were looking for. Although, I am remiss to give you this bad news."

With a quick gesture of her hand, Lucy prompted Crux to continue as Natsu made a loud entrance into the room carrying two large brown bags stuffed full with salty smelling foods. Erza silenced him with a look, then turned back to the odd gathering in front of her.

"The spell that the drugs had been soaking is the concentrated form of 'Lullaby' itself. A song played by the demon flute, it is said to put anyone with magic flowing through their veins into a never ending slumber if they hear even one note. The flute was created by the dark mage Zeref hundreds of years ago. If what we have found out is true, then we can assume that Eisenwald is in possession of the demon flute."

Slowly, as if in a dream, Lucy remembers her mistake on the train, that one moment that she had looked away from Kageyama as he stumbled back. She had seen a wooden…thing on the floor. A piece of wood with evenly spaced holes on the front. ' _Was that the flute?_ '

"Crux…does Lullaby have a skull on it? A skull with three eyes?"

"Yes, Princess. It does."

"Thank you Crux, that will be all for tonight. Thank you for your help."

The spirit bowed then disappeared back to the celestial plane.

"Luce…how did you know what Lullaby looked like?"

Lucy looked at the three curious sets of eyes on her. She sighed and rubbed her hands through her damp hair. "Kageyama. He dropped the flute on the train. I saw it but didn't know what it was at the time. I'm sorry guys. I could have stopped this if I was stronger!"

"Enough! Lucy, you were focused on keeping both yourself and Natsu alive. We didn't have this information until now. Please don't think for a moment that you are weak. We will just adjust our strategy to accommodate what we know and go from there."

Natsu pulled Lucy into his lap, giving the sad girl whatever comfort he could. "Yah Luce. You were amazing. You stopped that mage from making mincemeat out of me. You're amazing, okay?"

"Alright. Thank you guys, you don't know what this means to me." Lucy yawned and cuddled up to Natsu's warm chest, the past couple long days finally catching up with her.

Gray passed out plates of Chinese food to everyone, and they ate quickly.

Yawning again, Lucy stretched out her arms and curled into a small ball, falling asleep in Natsu's arms.

Her Dragon only chuckled and placed a small kiss onto her temple. "Come on. We have another day of searching ahead of us. Let's get some sleep."

Erza shut off the light, sprawling across one of the beds as Gray flopped down on the couch. "Good night everyone." Only silence answered her.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"Do you feel it? How the hell did we miss a magical aura that big?"

"Yes, I feel so foolish. Of course, those despicable mages would come here. Kageyama was on a fucking train. Why didn't we come here first?"

"At least we got here when we did before they moved on to another city or something. I'll call Lucy. She and Natsu will meet us at the train station in twenty minutes."

"Alright. I'll keep an eye on the entrance. Tell them to hurry, or I'll make sure that Natsu can't have any children with his new mate."

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

The group stood under an awning across the street from the train station. They had been caught in a torrential downpour, the likes of which hadn't been seen for ages. The Ice Mage of the group didn't need to be warm, his training protected him. Natsu's fire provided him warmth, and Erza just stood there without any movement, her armour flashing in the dull light.

Gray felt the hairs on the back of his neck lift up. "Does it feel like we're being watched? Ever since this rain started, I feel like someone is watching my every move." He rubbed his arms self-consciously, willing his goosebumps to go away.

Lucy – who was cuddled up to Natsu for warmth and comfort – shook her head. "No, I don't feel anything at all." She untangled herself from Natsu's hold and held a hand up to Gray's forehead. "You feeling okay? Are you getting sick from all this rain?"

As Gray playfully swatted Lucy's hand away, a pair of deep blue eyes peeked around the corner of an abandoned alleyway across the street from where the group of mages were standing.

The exclamation of 'Love Rival' couldn't be heard, even the Dragon Slayer missed it, as the rain came down harder than ever.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"Look! Something's happening!" The little group, plus one stalker, had been watching the station intently for three hours now, with nothing to show for their work. But, something did indeed seem to be happening, something…strange.

Lucy didn't understand what was going on, it looked like every third or fourth person coming out of the station was dropping to the floor, either dead or…fast asleep. She sucked in a quick breath. "Guys! It's Lullaby! I don't know how 'The Reaper' did it, but look! Everyone is falling asleep."

"Could they have put it in the water? Or maybe a gas? In the food?" Erza contemplated out loud. Whatever the cause of this disturbance, they had a definite lead towards the dark sect they had been following. Finally. "We need to get in there before the police show up, Natsu, can you smell anything about where Erigor is? Or maybe Kageyama?"

Natsu only shook his head and gnashed his teeth in anger. All the scents had been washed away by the rain. "No, that stupid downpour killed any scents. I can only smell wet pavement and Ice Princess over here." While he could smell all mages present under the awning, he liked to annoy Gray to get a rise out of him. Although, it didn't happen this time.

Gray seemed too busy looking over his shoulder to listen.

"Be that as it may, we must investigate before the authorities arrive. Come." And with that, the group of four jogged towards the entrance of the train station, going against the flow of panicking bodies. It seemed that people were picking up on the fact that the prone bodies on the floor were in distress and that this wasn't some sort of weird flash mob.

Natsu grabbed Lucy's hand as they ran, to keep from being separated. But then he smelt something. Something that he had smelt before. "Shit. That smell from the train is back! Erza, Kageyama is definitely here, I can smell darkness again." He wouldn't let that wannabe dark mage hurt Lucy ever again. Snarling at the injustice of their last encounter together, he picked up speed, dragging a confused Star Child in his wake.

"Natsu! Slow down!"

But he didn't. He finally had a trail to follow, and he was going to do his absolute best in not fucking up yet again. Erza and Gray trailed after Natsu, concentrating hard on their surroundings to ward off any ambushes that might crop up.

The eerie thing was, the station was deserted. Only the fallen forms of the sleeping citizens could be found, and it was truly a creepy sight. They came upon the main terminal to find a mass of leering people standing in their way.

They had walked into an obvious trap.

A voice boomed from above. "Thank you for finally joining us, Fair Tail flies."

Craning their necks, Lucy's group witnessed something that they had no means to understand yet. A man in a long frilly skirt, holding a large scythe was hovering in the air. It seemed that they had found 'The Reaper.'


	21. Two: Tide

All rights to Hiro Mashima

I wish all you readers a Happy New Year, may 2017 be the best yet!

* * *

~ **Part Two: Tide** ~

 _Noun: the periodic rise and fall of the waters of the ocean and its inlets, produced by the attraction of the moon and sun, and occurring about every twelve hours._

* * *

Erza threw a haphazard plan together on the spot; she needed to take out that blasted wind mage before he used his advantage for long ranged attacks. "Natsu! Gray! He must be trying to broadcast that song over the loud speakers in the train station. Find the control room, quickly!" It was the only logical conclusion to why Eisenwald would _even_ stop at this station. To Erza's chagrin, Erigor only laughed and spouted more insults about Fairy Tail, then turned tail and _ran_ away.

Well, floated away really.

Natsu wanted to argue. He wanted to snarl and growl and _fight_ that his place was by his chosen's side. He and Lucy were a team, and he wanted to finally see her in action instead of being laid up with motion sickness. Besides, he hasn't even had a chance to take out that stupid shadow bastard yet.

However, after taking a single look at his Lucy, he realised that he honestly didn't need to feel fear for her, or worry about her wellbeing in any way.

He saw the telltale signs of her magic start to swirl and shift around her, a now familiar black brand etched itself onto her skin. She was pulling out the big guns for this fight. Natsu caught a glimpse of a single golden key outstretched between two of her fingers, a glow already emanating from her usually deep amber eyes. Anticipation crawled over his skin as he watched her summon a spirit friend to help her.

"OPEN! GATE OF THE GIANT CRAB, CANCER!"

"STAR DRESS, CANCER FORM!"

Oh yes. Big guns indeed.

His little Star Child wasn't going to pull any punches this time; she was just as pissed as he was. ' _Gods, she's amazing._ ' He couldn't wait to get her home and into his bed, but Natsu doubted that they would even make it that far. ' _Maybe an alleyway…?_ ' Lucy was just too amazing for her own good, and the looks on the stunned dark mages faces cemented that idea.

Natsu smirked and cackled triumphantly as he followed Gray out of the main terminal out into the sea of unconscious bodies, ready to track down that skirt wearing freak. Lucy could take care of herself, without a doubt. Natsu almost felt sorry for idiots that dared to even go against her.

Almost.

She and Erza would wipe the floor with them; he had absolute faith. Although now wasn't the time to think about just how short Lucy's Kimono was or whether or not she would wear thigh high stockings again, he needed to focus on his task, many lives were on the line, and he couldn't afford to be distracted.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"Let's go Cancer!" Lucy held her two long daggers in her hands, ready to start the assault on the majority of Eisenwald, as Erza sped away in another direction, ploughing down enemies like bowling pins. Stepping out into the chaos around her, she dodged and weaved and ducked and slashed, her every move calculated and efficient. She liked Cancer's Star Dress the best so far, the lightweight weapons she used allowed her to move quickly in and amongst her opponents, and this form also increased her dexterity and accuracy.

Dark mages surged around her, all trying to cut her down. But Lucy steadfastly ignored her growing apprehension about the sheer numbers that were around her, using her brains and instincts to turn the tide of the fight. One after another, her opponents fell twitching on the ground, their nerves severed.

A commotion from the other side of the terminal caught her attention, and she dropped her guard for a single moment. It was enough for a dark mage to slip underneath her outstretched arms and bring down an enchanted sword towards her jugular.

Lucy dodged it in time, only being hit by the very tip of the long weapon near her collar bone, a long shallow scratch her only injury. A flash of golden light blinded her for a moment, and the man dropped into a pitfall that had magically appeared on the floor of the station.

Glancing around for the perpetrator, she spied Cancer dispatching the last of his opponents in a similar fashion as Duke Everlue, leaving a trail of unconscious, bald bodies in his wake.

With his job finished, Cancer adjusted his glasses and flashed her a small smirk. "See you later, baby. Hope you like their new haircuts. That dress looks fabulous on you." And then he was gone as quickly as he appeared. ' _I do indeed like his work. Those idiots look ridiculous like that._ ' She could hear the prideful tone as Cancer said goodbye, and Lucy couldn't help but let a winning smile plaster itself on her face.

Her spirits were proud of her. It was more than she could ever hope for.

"Punishment Princess?"

Lucy whipped around to witness a stoic Virgo clamber out of the pitfall with the man who gave her the scratch, bound and gagged, trussed in rope and thrown over her shoulder. ' _Of course, it was Virgo who made the hole in the ground._ '

Lucy smiled at Virgo and shook her head at the request for punishment. "Not right now Virgo, maybe later."

Virgo bowed deeply and roughly deposited the dark mage on the ground, garnering a strained whimper from him. "I will take my leave then. Stay safe Princess."

"SHIT, it's Titania Erza! Queen of the Fairies!"

A great scrambling sound was heard, and most of the mages that had been so cocky before were darting around in circles or running away from a fuming Erza standing in the middle of the platform. "Come back and fight you, cowards!"

"RE-QUIP! HEAVEN'S WHEEL!"

"CIRCLE SWORDS!"

Lucy watched as every single mage that was left standing dropped to the floor, covered in cuts and bruises, some unconscious, some too injured to move. ' _Holy crap! She's incredible!_ ' Erza floated down to the floor again with a serene smile on her face and re-quipped into her regular armour.

"Well done Lucy, your magic is quite extraordinary. I look forward to the future, working with you was fascinating."

"Thank you Erza, I have never seen magic like yours either, although I haven't seen much magic at all to compare it." Lucy scrutinised the scene, looking for a particular shadow mage that she has a grudge against. ' _Dammit, he isn't here! Where the hell is Kageyama!?_ '

A shuddering explosion interrupted her search. The building shook and plaster from the ceiling rained down on top of them. "What the hell was that?" Lucy asks Erza, a perplexed look on her face she can see mirrored in the other woman's expression.

"I don't know, but it sounded like it came from outside, let's investigate. Shall we?"

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"What in Heaven's name is going on?"

A giant tornado encircled the whole building, whipping around the train station at breakneck speeds. Erza tried to force her way through with a mighty battle cry and a slash from one of her silver swords, but all she accomplished was being thrown to the ground with a torn up elbow. "It seems that there is no way to brute force ourselves out of this predicament. Lucy, do you have any ideas?"

Lucy had yet to drop her Cancer form, the golden light still swirling in her eyes, the ancient runes still showing proudly on her face. Levy had translated them for her after the bluenette had seen her initial confrontation with Erza. Apparently, the one under her left eye meant 'Protector', and the one under her right meant a strange garbled version of 'High Priestess.'

"I'm sorry Erza, I don't have any ideas at the moment. The boys might, though, I think we should find them. Kageyama and Erigor are still missing as well." Explosions could be heard in the background, and the women had no doubts that it was Natsu's doing. ' _He is just so destructive._ '

"Alright, let's go. I have a feeling this 'strange tornado' that cropped up out of nowhere has something to do with Erigor anyways. Wind magic is his speciality, after all."

And when Erza had a feeling about something, it was wise to listen to it.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

While Erza and Lucy had fought and decimated the lower lackeys of Eisenwald, Natsu and Gray ran down a deserted corridor coming to a halt at a fork.

Gray made the executive decision. Two mages, two ways to go. If they split up, they will have a better chance of finding their objectives. "You go left; I'll go right. Don't die yah idiot or Lucy will come and cry on my shoulder." And then he sped away down into the bowels of the train station to escape whatever come back that Natsu could come up with.

He was not running away. No sir.

Natsu just growled and gnashed his teeth at the ice-mage. ' _What the hell is with him? He knows that Lucy is mine. That bastard. Whatever…_ ' Natsu shrugged off Gray's parting words and sprinted in the opposite direction towards a hallway with many doors, all of which were locked. He can't smell anything out of the ordinary, but reasons that he shouldn't leave any stone unturned.

Smirking and cackling gleefully at the chance to do some damage, Natsu bypasses all the doors – which would have crumbled with a simple kick to their weak spots – in favour of blowing human-sized holes in the walls just next to those doors, his fist imbued with fire creating waves of destruction.

"Come on out Erigor! It's not nice to play hide and seek with a Dragon!"

And yet, he found nothing. No control system for the loudspeakers and no dress skirt wearing, floppy-haired flying mage.

Until he found something in the last room that he wasn't actively looking for, the pungent smell of darkness creeping up behind him

Kageyama had come out to play.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"Tch, I can't believe I wasted time on you." Gray was annoyed, but also worried. A freaky mage that looked like a cross between a bumblebee and an Egyptian sphinx had ambushed him from behind when he had finally found the control room.

But lo and behold, Erigor was nowhere around, which led him into a genuinely stupid fight with a truly stupid opponent who had all but let the real target slip when he had become too cocky in his skills with his finger-tentacle-things.

So with a couple of simple ice-make spells, Gray decided that he had learned all he could from this idiot and turned the dark mage into a human popsicle and left him to thaw out on his own.

He had to find Erza quickly. She needed to know that Eisenwald's actual target was Clover Town and had nothing to do with the drugs. Those laced ecstasy pills had been a side project of Erigor's, to spread dissent and chaos through the masses. He also learned that Kageyama was a seal breaker, and he was the person responsible for unleashing 'Lullaby' in the first place.

Gray hated people like that.

And to top it all off, Erigor had already left the building, erecting a 'wind-barrier' in his wake to keep the Fairy Tail mages inside. It had all been one gigantic, elaborately constructed trap.

"Fucking dammit." Now Gray was really annoyed.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

The girls sprinted through the almost empty building to find their teammates, a disgruntled Happy streaking along behind them.

Turning a corner they ran – figuratively and literally – right into Gray.

"Erigor's gone. Wind barrier outside. Need Kageyama. Real target Clover." There was no time for full sentences as the mages detangled themselves from each other. Gray had to convey everything he knew as fast as possible.

"Clover Town? Why would they want to go there?" Lucy tugged her friends behind her towards the small booms and explosions still radiating from within the station, while asking Gray questions along the way.

"Master's meeting. All the other Master's will be there."

Erza paled considerably and sped her pace up. "Why would we need Kageyama?"

"He's a dispeller. He can get rid of that wind barrier."

Not another word was spoken as they raced towards a clearly enraged Natsu and his unknown opponent.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"Finally! I've been waiting for this rematch all day!" Natsu was absolutely ecstatic. Kageyama had all but plunked himself down into the Fire Dragon's lap, itching for a fight between them.

"You won't be able to beat me you little fly; you couldn't even fight me the last time. You were hiding behind that blonde bimbo the whole time. I must say, though, she was delicious to look at. Maybe when I destroy you, I'll try to find her and have a little _fun_ …" Little did Kageyama know that those words were the worst possible thing to come out of his mouth at this moment.

Now it was all but guaranteed that the shadow mage would be burnt to a crisp.

"How dare you even think about my mate like that! You have no right to even look at her after what you did on the train." Natsu's magic started to engulf him, as adrenaline spread out through his body in anticipation for a fight. "Enough talk. I won't let you hurt Lucy again."

"Bring it on you pink-haired pansy; my shadows will follow you to the underworld!" Kageyama quickly slapped his hand on the ground, a magic circle forming below. He had to get an edge on his opponent, and this was the best way to do it.

"SNAKE SHADOW"

Multiple snakes composed entirely of dark matter burst forth heading directly towards Natsu, intent on dragging him to hell.

Or they would have been had it not been for Natsu's fantastic reflexes. He dodged out of the way with a graceful roll, his glittering onyx eyes trained on the shadow mage. It seemed like Kageyama did have a few tricks up his sleeve.

"My turn." Natsu crashed his fists together, his magic flaring up and his hands igniting with his flames. ' _One attack should do it. This shadow bastard had nothing on me._ ' With a feral grin that showed off his gleaming fangs, Natsu attacked viciously and without mercy, intent on making sure that Kageyama would be down for a long while.

"I can't believe that you had the stones to challenge a Dragon."

Kageyama's heartbeat sped up as he realised that he had just angered the infamous Salamander of Fairy Tail. He should have seen it sooner, the wild pink hair and his scaly scarf…he was well known for his destructive tendencies the world over.

"FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!"

A blast of concentrated Dragon's fire and ridiculously dry air hit the shadow mage with full force, as Kageyama had been unable to dodge due to his crippling fear at his untimely realisation.

Kageyama was unconscious, albeit in a very anticlimactic way. Natsu was still all fired up and starving for a good fight.

"Natsu! Don't hurt Kageyama. We need him!"

Well, it was a little late for that.


	22. Two: Rain

All rights to Hiro Mashima

* * *

~ **Part Two: Rain** ~

 _Noun: water that is condensed from the aqueous vapour in the atmosphere and falls to earth in drops_

* * *

It was in this specific moment, as Erza tried to wake up Kageyama by slapping him in the face multiple times with a gauntleted hand, as Natsu tried to force himself through a wind barrier that was like millions of knives swirling around them, and the fact that this was the third time she had tripped over a totally nonplussed blue cat whom they brought on a _mission_ with them, while Gray stripped himself completely due to his anxiety over the whole situation, that Lucy realised that her new family was insane.

Absolutely batshit crazy with a side of psycho sauce.

But they truly made life more interesting; that's for damn sure.

She also realised that she had seen more of Gray today than she had ever wanted to see in her life. There was only one set of equipment that she ever wanted to use, and the man they were currently attached to was throwing himself at a gigantic spontaneous tornado and yelling obscenities at it like he thought that the barrier would _talk back_.

Lucy mused that it wasn't out of the realm of possibilities, really. She had very recently held a conversation with a talking cross, so shooting the breeze _with_ the breeze was totally doable in her opinion.

When Lucy saw that Natsu was ripping apart his forearms, his blood spilling onto the stone of the courtyard, despite having Dragon scaled skin which was supposed to be extremely resilient, she knew she had to act quickly, or her new mate would soon turn into a pile of shredded mush.

She ran up behind him as his muscles wound up for another assault on the offending obstacle in his path and flung herself onto his back while wrapping her legs and arms around him. She knew he wouldn't do anything that could potentially put her in danger, and hopefully her presence would be enough to calm him down.

"Natsu! Stop it! You're only hurting yourself doing this!"

Natsu hung his head in shame. He knew what he was trying wasn't going to work, but what else could he do? He was a brute force man, one that used flames and destruction to finish a job. If he couldn't use that, then what purpose did he have?

"I know Luce. What else am I supposed to do?"

Lucy didn't have an answer for that, so she just shook her head and pressed a kiss into the crook of his neck. They would figure this puzzle out together, hopefully quickly so they could get after 'The Reaper' before he reached Clover Town and injured the Master.

"Dammit! Why isn't he waking up? Kageyama! You bastard! You absolute shit head coward! Wake up and face me man to man!" It seemed that Erza was done being patient with her charge and was now getting into the 'tough love' route she loved so much. However, after many attempts, there was no change in Kageyama's condition. Erza looked out into the wind then up into the sky to see how high it extended. "UGH! It's too high for my armour to fly over, even my Black Wing one." She then looked to the ground. "Fuck, I should have seen this a possibility. In the future, I will have to find an armour re-quip that allows me to dig through the ground, even if it is marble or concrete…"

As soon as Erza uttered those words, Lucy's mind snapped to something that she couldn't really comprehend just yet. ' _Ground…dig…rock…dig…dig…underneath…_ '

"VIRGO!"

Said maid popped into existence in a small flash of light, half way into a deep bow. "You called Princess? Is it finally time for punishment?"

Lucy disregarded all the questioning and honestly startled, looks from her fellow mages and focused solely on their saving grace who had come to save them. "Virgo, could you please dig us a tunnel though this stone so that we can get beyond this barrier?"

"Of course Princess, it would be my honour." Without another word, the spinning celestial spirit disappeared into the ground and left a sizeable hole in her wake.

"Damn. Look at her go! Nice catch Luce." Gray, being the idiot that he was, decided to play with fire again, literally, as he covertly used Natsu's preferred nickname for the blonde. However, with everything that was going on, Lucy ignored it while it went completely over Natsu's head. Only Erza caught the sly look in Gray's eyes as he said it.

Erza decided that she would beat the meaning of 'Lucy is Natsu's chosen and now completely off limits, stop flirting or you'll die' into the ice maker later. Right now, they had a town to save and an egotistical asshat to destroy. She sent a stern look that screamed 'danger' at Gray – who honestly shivered a smidge – and dropped into the new tunnel. "Let's go. We don't have much time."

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"Why….transportation…Luce…help…"

Even Lucy was starting to feel slightly nauseous as Erza careened around yet another corner. If she felt a little green, then this must be torture on Natsu. "I'm sorry. I know this can't be easy for you, but we need to go fast to catch up to Erigor." She was just glad they weren't driving through the rain, Erza was having enough trouble keeping all four wheels of the vehicle on the ground, to begin with. She couldn't imagine the state that they would arrive in if they lost what little traction they did have.

While Natsu knew this was true, he also didn't want it to be, seeing as his lunch was trying to force its way through his throat for the second time in a week. "Ughh…." He wanted to yell at Erza to slow the fuck down, but couldn't even muster up enough strength to lift his arm to give her the one finger salute.

Gods he felt pathetic, and with the looks that Gray was shooting him, he knew his rival was thinking it as well. He snarled at the popsicle's stupid face, but it came out as more of a pained whimper. So he flopped back down onto Lucy's thighs and breathed her familiar scent deep into his lungs to ward off the roiling of his stomach. He turned his head towards her stomach and was suddenly _almost_ happy that he was forced to lay like this.

He could see straight up Lucy's short skirt like this, he caught a glimpse of her core wrapped by a deliciously skimpy piece of deep red lace as she shifted. This sight, and her smell was almost worth the puking. He hummed deep in his throat and threw a quick smirk up at her face when Lucy noticed where he was looking.

Lucy only rolled her eyes and dragged a hand through his tousled pink hair. ' _Men..._ '

They all jolted and moaned as the car that they were in practically leapt over a meridian that separated the two sides of the freeway they were on.

"Erza! Where in the Gods names did you learn to drive?! Also, did you have to steal the most expensive car that we came across?!"

To answer Lucy's question, Erza grunted, her concentration unwavering. "This is my second time driving a car. I usually take the train to all my destinations. Also, this one was the fastest. It is aerodynamic and built low to the ground. We need to beat Erigor to Clover and rouse the Masters. I checked the schedule; there was a train that left for Clover just after Erigor set up the barrier. I believe that Erigor was on it. Even though he is an idiot and a bastard for allowing Kageyama to create drugs that had the potential to kill people, and for instilling fear and chaos into people's hearts, I don't believe that he is reckless. He wouldn't want to create a gigantic scene and would take an easy way to get to Clover to conserve his magic reserves. I believe that he works from the shadows, that's why he was so good at the assassination requests that he finished. Can you see him floating along the train tracks towards the town he's targeting?"

Lucy decides that Erza has made a good point, and acquiesces to her redheaded friend's reasoning. "Speaking of Kageyama, what do we do with him?"

Said shadow mage was currently tied up with magic negating rope straight from the celestial plane thanks to an almost gleeful Virgo who took way too much pleasure in restraining him and shoved into the tiny trunk of the car they were in.

Lucy smiled fondly down at her Dragon. He had forcefully dragged the unconscious Kageyama through the tunnel Virgo had created and to the car that Erza had 'borrowed.' When Gray had asked about it, he only stated that he would never leave a man behind like that, even if he were an enemy. Lucy suspected that Natsu was carrying some guilt over the fact that he had given the other mage severe burns when they had fought, and knew that Kageyama needed medical attention.

"We will drop him off in front of the hospital in Clover. The doctors will know what to do with him. But, only after we deal with Erigor. Kageyama will be alright until then."

Gray chanced a glance outside the window as he heard a familiar whistle sound beside them. "Erza! That's the train going to Clover! We caught up with it, but we need to go faster."

With determination in her eyes, the redhead floored it, gaining speed towards their destination as the train got smaller and smaller behind them.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

Outside the Clover Sports Dome – a massive building that housed ice rinks, a football field, soccer fields, food vendors and space for at least thirty thousand fans of the different sports to sit and a swimming pool in the basement – stood three peculiar looking men.

One, a balding middle-aged cross-dresser by the name of Bob, chattered on and on about the state of his host club, Blue Pegasus. Another, a laid back spindly man wearing a collar of spikes and a black beanie, known only as 'Goldmine,' listened half-heartedly to Bob's words while simultaneously trying to figure out how to bring in more revenue to his all men's gym 'Quattro Cerberus.'

The third, was the tiny master of Fairy Tail, smoking a cigar and trying to look more intimidating than he actually was. Makarov was trying to piece together the puzzle that was forming in his mind about this new drug and failing miserably. No matter what he did, it just wouldn't fit together. Makarov scrubbed his face with his hands and moaned lowly. He really didn't want to call Mystogan back in to help them. Hopefully, Laxus and the team he put together would have this wrapped up before the weekend was over.

As their thoughts ran rampant, a car squealed to a stop in front of them, half on the curb and half off, the rubber on the wheels smoking.

Makarov, Bob, and Goldmine watched as both doors opened and Gray and Erza stepped out, followed by Lucy who eyed the re-quip mage's parking job with an apprehensive eye. Lastly, Natsu oozed out of the back seat whimpering his displeasure about moving vehicles to a sympathetic celestial mage and a smug looking cat.

"Oi! What are you brats doing here? And when the hell did you learn to drive a car Erza?"

The Master of Fairy Tail watched as Erza strode up to him with a very serious look plastered on her face. "Earlier this week, but that is neither here nor there. At the moment, there is a very annoyed leader of a dark sect called 'Eisenwald' on his way here on the next train. His name is Erigor the Reaper. He wants to wipe out the Masters in one fell swoop by using the cursed song of never ending sleep. It is death magic, and very powerful. It can only be played on a demon flute that he has in his possession; it has a skull with three eyes on it."

Makarov sighed and gestured to them to follow him inside. ' _I just knew that something like this would happen._ '

"Come into the centre then, and we will wait this out together away from prying eyes and innocent people. We rent out the entire complex when we have our meetings so that we don't have to hide our magic from the general populous."

And with that, a naked Ice King, the Titania, a revived Dragon, his blue cat, and a Star Child followed the three Masters into the dome to wait out the arrival of the dress wearing pansy known as Erigor.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"So…does anyone want to tell me why Happy is here…on a dangerous job…with you four?" Makarov was obviously curious why Natsu would actually bring his prized friend to a place where there was a potential danger.

Everyone turned to the resident Dragon Slayer, who only shrugged and let an easy smile drift onto his features. "Don't worry Gramps; Happy can take care of himself. Just like Erza and Luce, dunno about that Icicle Dildo though, he might need some serious help."

"The fuck! Say that to my face you Flaming Fire Bastard!"

Makarov grunted his displeasure about the situation but didn't comment about the feline further and let Erza step in between Natsu and Gray before a brawl could start in earnest. There just wasn't time for that.

He led them down into the bowels of the centre, gathering all the other Masters that they came across and ushering them towards a large underground room that housed something that Lucy was very happy to see, even if she didn't know why at the moment.

An Olympic sized pool complete with bleachers greeted them. Their hushed tones bounced off the walls while Makarov tried to explain the problem as quickly as possible. All in all, there were about twenty people standing in a single corner of the room watching as the water in the pool gently moved around due to its filtration system.

There was ample space to fight and many obstacles to take cover behind. It was an ideal location to fight it. Erza was satisfied with the Master's choice.

"Master, when Erigor comes, please allow us four to complete our mission. We should have stopped that idiot before it came to this…but we were foolish and walked into a well-planned trap in Onibus."

"As you wish Erza."

Forty-five minutes later, Natsu watched as Lucy stiffened, her face a mask of determination. If Lucy could sense something then Natsu needed to be on guard, it was more than likely that it was Erigor bringing that freaky looking flute thing with him.

All mages watched as Natsu and Lucy connected their hands, and he kissed her firmly on her temple as a show of good luck. As Lucy looked towards everyone else in their group, her eyes started to swirl with gold magic, and she gracefully walked towards the pool.

Everyone assumed she would stop at the pool and work her magic from there, however, Lucy didn't seem to see the edge and stepped right off.

Onto the water.

As she walked towards the middle of the large basin – with everyone gawking at her display of her powers – she shouted two incantations while bent over touching a single golden key into the pool.

"OPEN! GATE OF THE WATER BEARER, AQUARIUS!"

"STAR DRESS, AQUARIUS FORM!"

A beautiful mermaid burst from the water, a blue jug held under one arm, water flowing and undulating around her, moving on its own accord, or perhaps to her will. Lucy's tank top and skirt were exchanged for a striped bikini and sandals; her hair pulled into high pigtails. She was beautiful and dangerous, a deadly combination in everyone's books.

Natsu could see the brand etch itself across her collarbones and a shiver crawled down his spine as her golden eyes finally found his and she stated in that voice of hers filled with the song of her beloved stars.

"He's here."


	23. Two: Waves

All rights to Hiro Mashima

I would like to dedicate this longer chapter to **FairyTailLover04**. Thanks for the suggestion! Hope you enjoy!

* * *

~ **Part Two: Waves** ~

 _Noun: a disturbance on the surface of a liquid body, as the sea or a lake, in the form of a moving ridge or swell_

* * *

Lucy and Aquarius stood vigil on the surface of the pool, small waves splashing around them from their combined magical energy, just watching the double doors for the appearance of The Reaper.

Natsu fidgeted restlessly as Happy wound around his ankles incessantly meowing, it seemed that the tiny cat could sense the tension in the air and was a bit disgruntled.

As soon as Lucy had let them know that Erigor was in coming, Erza had re-quipped into her Black Winged armour to get a jump start on the enemy, her mind whirling and jumping from half-formed plans to snippets of possible outcomes of the future fight.

Gray, while usually laid back, stood rigidly in his preferred stance, ready to create beautiful but deadly ice to destroy their opponent with. All of this taking place after he had shucked off all of his clothes, of course. If Erza noticed that he was now only wearing the silver cross around his neck, and oddly enough his socks, she didn't comment.

Silence reigned in the large echoing room, the only sounds that could be heard was the occasional low noise from the waves breaking against the side of the pool. Every mage, even the Masters were standing still and apprehensive in the corner, but they didn't dare risk Erza's wrath should they interrupt her concentration.

They were so intent on the doors that lead to the pool that they didn't take the time to wonder if Erigor would choose a less conventional way to breach the room and catch them off guard. Which is exactly what he did.

It was muffled at first and only Natsu – with his heightened hearing – heard the first telltale signs that The Reaper was coming for them, but not through the doors.

No. He chose a much more direct route.

Through the roof.

With a loud groan and many large splashes, a gigantic hole was blasted through the ceiling, the chunks rained down into the pool underneath. With a great crack and one last 'sploosh,' one of the metal goals from the indoor soccer field – complete with shredded net – fell into the water, right where Lucy had been standing only moments before.

When the first grumble and subsequent crack appeared on the roof of the pool room, Lucy took immediate action, sprinting across the water towards Natsu and company throwing up barriers of water to ward off the bits of ceiling that threatened to crush her under its weight.

"Luce! You alright?" She could hear Natsu yelling for her somewhere to her left. Never taking her glowing gaze off the new skylight, she answered in her melodious voice. "Yeah, Natsu. I'm good. Focus on Erigor! I can feel his magic, he's coming!"

At her shout, all mages present charged up their relevant attacks waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

Suddenly, The Reaper appeared, a small tornado swirling around him as he sat cross-legged in the air, seemingly at ease.

"It seems that you beat me here, Fairy Tail flies. Oh well, nothing worth doing is ever done easily. Isn't that right Makarov?"

Erza watched as her Master's face darkened and his magical pressure increased exponentially. In a booming voice that matched the anger, they felt coming from the usually jovial man, Makarov addressed the smirking flying mage. "I should have known this was you all along Erigor. We removed your sect from the light side because you kept taking assassination requests! Everyone in your movement only saw the money! Magic should be used to help people who are less fortunate than yourself, not to line your pockets with more bills!"

The wind picked up slightly as Erigor listened to the Master's speech, glowering and gnashing his teeth the whole while. "The council should never have banned those types of requests! We in Eisenwald refuse to bow down to people who believe themselves better than us! So now I'm going to instil even more chaos into the ranks by destroying all of the Masters of the legal sects in one fell swoop. The Reaper's cleansing is nigh!"

"Shut the fuck up would you!?" Lucy decided that she had had enough of this asshats drivel, and it was time to fight and not chat amicably about different views of the same issue. "Now Aquarius! Drive him away from the ceiling with the water from the pool, and I'll try to get him onto dry land. Don't let him fly anymore so Gray and Natsu can defeat him."

"Tch. I can't believe that you're Layla's daughter, you have absolutely no grace or poise." However, Aquarius did as Lucy commanded and threw a surge of water in the form of a tidal wave towards Erigor commanding the pool to act to her will. Lucy raised her hands and threw half-moon slices of water with great force towards the same target, some embedding themselves into the wall before falling apart into a puddle on the floor. Aquarius stayed strong and only rolled her eyes twice, a new record for her.

Just as Lucy predicted, this combination attack forced the leader of Eisenwald to dodge the incoming water. He drifted farther and farther down towards the floor, closer to the three mages who couldn't actually fly.

With a gleam in his eye and a mighty cackle, Natsu launched himself at Erigor – who at this point was almost flush to the floor – with only a cry of "I'm all fired up!" Gray threw deadly spears of ice from his right and Erza rushed in behind Natsu brandishing a single blade.

With the mating bond in place and his eye on Lucy, Natsu felt his blood run thick with potent fire magic and the ever smouldering fire in his belly burned hotter and brighter than he had felt before.

"FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!"

A flaming pillar of red and orange fire escaped through Natsu's gaping maw, twisting and crackling towards his enemy who only smiled darkly and swished his hands through the air, negating most of the attack with his wind, the rest he dodged artfully with only a single twist of his body. Erigor laughed and covered himself in Storm Mail while sending out a powerful attack towards Natsu in retribution.

"STORM SHRED!"

Natsu threw up both of his arms to deflect the spell from hitting his face, his already damaged arms taking the brunt of the attack. He hissed as the high-pressure wind sliced at his body, they felt like millions of tiny red hot brands on his already overheated skin.

Erigor clapped slowly, surprised that someone could withstand such an attack. "Well done, I haven't seen anyone alive after that spell before." The Reaper mumbled something under his breath so low that even Natsu couldn't hear him correctly. His concentration unwavering even when a stream of ice collided with his right leg freezing him temporarily in place.

Truly annoyed with this dumb wind spell, Natsu called for help from his fellow mages. "CRAP! Erza, he can put out my flames with his magic, can you get to him?"

When he didn't get an answer, Natsu spun around to witness something he had never seen before; Erza in danger. A cone of wind, close to the same shape as the barrier that Erigor had erected around Onibus Station, was circling around Erza, occasionally nicking her armour leaving slices in its wake.

Looking to his left, he could see Gray in the same predicament, only he had covered himself in his own ice to avoid the deadly breeze.

' _Lucy!_ ' Dodging a blast of concentrated wind magic, Natsu desperately looked around for his chosen only to see her still standing on the water, her arms tucked tightly into her sides with a barrier of water enclosing her form. The wind was as sharp as knives and just as merciless. It seemed that maintaining her defences took up more magic than he thought as Aquarius was forcefully sent back to the spirit world leaving her without an ally.

And then he saw Lucy's thigh. A thick stream of bright red blood ran down her leg into the pool below. She would need medical attention, and stitches at the very least, and soon, or she would pass out from the loss of life-giving blood into the water.

Natsu saw red. Rage and anger swelled up inside of his body until there was only one thought left in his brain. ' _Destroy_.' Erigor had hurt his Lucy. Now he would pay. Eye for an eye they say, so the only rational solution was for Natsu to make the stupid wind wizard bleed.

His pupils constricted into sharp points as patches of ruby scales appeared on his forearms and under his eyes, sharp horns pushed out from beneath his pink hair and his normally short nails turned into talons. Natsu let his Dragon take control and punish the man who had harmed his precious treasure. His Lucy.

With a bellowing roar – that most would confirm sounded exactly like a charging Dragon – Natsu tried a second time and threw himself at the floating wind mage, simultaneously lighting his whole body on fire until only his glowing eyes could be seen.

He looked like a demon, come straight from hell to drag them down to meet the devil himself.

"HOW DARE YOU HARM A PART OF MY HOARD?!"

And Lucy truly was a part of his hoard. Just like a greedy Dragon, he had collected her and coveted her and now thought of Lucy as his greatest possession. Her hair was gold for Mavis' sake.

Dragon's really liked gold.

Pushing his magic to the limits of his capabilities and then some, Natsu's fire glowed even brighter, whites and blues now mixed in with the usual colours. The floor beneath his feet started to melt and crack, the air around him became dry and stuffy. Steam from the pool's water evaporated from his overwhelming heat and permeated the room in thick sheets.

Everyone's view was obstructed, so no one but Natsu himself knew exactly what happened next.

All they knew was that when their vision cleared, a slightly smoking Erigor lay prone and defeated on the ground, surrounded by scorch marks and ash. While Natsu stood still in a half crouched position beside The Reaper, as if to make sure Erigor would not make it up again.

To this day, Natsu would never tell them that as soon as his fire got hot enough, Erigor's wind only fueled his flames instead of dispersing them. He only used a single 'Fire Dragon's Sword Horn' to his enemy's stomach, and brought down his opponent in record time while his horns gouged the wind mage's torso up in the process.

As Erigor fell into unconsciousness, the wind barriers around Lucy, Gray, and Erza disappeared. The Masters all congratulated Makarov on raising his children to be brilliant fighters while he, in turn, was lamenting on how much money they would have to pay to fix the destroyed roof. Makarov decided that it wasn't much, Fairy Tail could handle it. After all, Natsu had done much worse to the port town of Hargeon a couple of months prior and they had weathered through.

Lucy finally dispersed her Star Dress form when she was back on dry land. Her legs wobbling slightly from the amount of magic she used and the deep cut on her leg, which was still leaking blood.

Natsu scooped her up into his arms and nuzzled her mating mark lovingly and she stroked his horns in wonder. "You were amazing out they baby. You looked so hot in that bikini." His voice was low and husky. Natsu had finally seen his little super nova in a fight and she was everything he could hope for. Although, he wished she wasn't injured, but he took care of the bastard that did that to her.

Lucy only scoffed and rolled her eyes, slapping her hand against his chest in mock anger, a small smile on her lips. "Whatever Natsu. Can you patch me up now? I'm starting to lose feeling in my foot."

"Dammit, I almost forgot. I'll get some bandages, just sit here…don't move so much…I'll be right back." The pinkette ran to the conveniently placed first aid room and procured enough white bandages to wrap a small army as well as different creams to prevent infections and to numb the wound.

Erza inspected the downed Erigor. She was proud of Natsu for defeating him so efficiently, his mating with Lucy was definitely a positive thing. Natsu was finally growing up.

She was also annoyed that she hadn't been able to do anything while trapped behind that stupid mini tornado. Gray came up behind her with a length of regular rope to bind the wind mage. ' _It will have to do, for now. Hopefully, the Rune Knights will show up before he wakes._ '

One look at Gray though and that thought was forcefully shoved out of her mind as she whipped around and covered both her eyes and Lucy's at the same time. "For the love of all that is Holy! Gray Fullbuster! Put on some fucking pants!"

And for the second time that day, Lucy had seen more of Gray than she had ever wanted to.

Everyone was happy, though. They had brought down a dark sect and destroyed its leader with no casualties and minimal damage, even counting the massive hole above them and the fact that everything was drenched in chlorinated pool water.

However, everyone forgot the single most important reason why they had been sent to eradicate this problem in the first place, their minds either on the fact that Gray still couldn't find his pants or whether or not Lucy would need stitches before they had Wendy take a look at her leg.

No one saw the demon flute laying in a puddle on the ground close to the back wall where Erigor had dropped it when Natsu had torn up his stomach, an evil aura surrounding it as the third eye started to glow with a purple light.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

With a single call from Gray's communication lacrima, that weird space age phone that Lucy had noticed when they had gotten coffee together that one time, and the Rune Knights – magical law enforcement – were coming to pick up Erigor and take him to their prison at ERA. They had already contained the situation at Onibus station and were slightly…miffed about the fact that Fairy Tail had dealt with the problem before consulting the council. To which Makarov had scoffed, lit up his pipe and stuck his middle finger up at them, even though the Rune Knights couldn't see it.

They got the sentiment well enough.

As they were trying to leave, Gray having found his pants and Lucy being piggybacked by Natsu with Happy sitting jauntily on top of her blonde head, did they feel a rumble from beneath them and hear a wheezy voice that sounded like the speaker had chain smoked for a thousand years.

"Ugh. Enough talking, I'm hungry!"

Even though everyone knew that this wasn't Natsu who spoke, they all still turned their questioning gazes towards him. He only shook his head and rolled his eyes, proceeding to look around for the source of the voice. It was difficult due to the messed up acoustics of the pool room.

Lucy pointed towards a far corner, close to where the leader of Eisenwald had fallen. "Look over there! What the hell is that? In the corner…Shit! It's the demon flute! How did we forget about Lullaby?"

With laugh – which honestly sounded like nails on a chalkboard – and another rumble, magical energy poured from the stupid piece of wood and right before everyone's eyes, the flute began to grow into another form.

Another much larger form, which everyone realised was much taller than the roof of the room they were currently standing in.

Lullaby in all its demon glory was as tall as the entire dome, basement included. With a great shuddering roar, the wooden giant broke through the ceiling and crushed the remaining parts of the soccer field into the pool below it with great swaths of its gigantic hands.

"Look out! Take cover!" Shouts could be heard from all sides as the mages threw hands and arms above their heads to try to ward off the falling pieces of cement and rebar.

"ICE MAKE SHIELD!"

In a matter of seconds, Gray had erected a temporary barrier made completely out of ice. It took all the damage from the shrapnel, and everyone got away with only a few scratches. Lucky for them, Gray had amazing reflexes.

Erza motioned to Gray and Natsu to follow her as she ran full speed towards the gigantic wooden beast.

Natsu set Lucy down on the floor next to their Master, and Happy stood stoically by her side, his hair bristling and back arching from the sound of the demon's voice. "Luce, stay here and protect the Masters. Happy will stay with you. I'm counting on you if this gets out of hand, alright?"

Lucy only nodded squeezing his hand once before she watched him jog off towards the giant, trailing slightly behind Erza and Gray, his hands already on fire.

She knew what he was doing, he was trying to keep her out of the line of fire without directly saying that she was too hurt to fight. While she was slightly damaged, Lucy knows that she still has some magic left and her leg isn't really that bad, but not being in perfect condition would be a liability when their opponent was literally the size of a skyscraper. If she didn't move fast enough, she could have been squished underneath of Lullaby's massive feet. Natsu had entrusted her with the safety of all the Masters of all the light sects, and she wouldn't let him down. She knew that he didn't think she was weak, quite the opposite if see was to take all his praise at face value.

Natsu had never lied to her in the past, why would he now?

She called out Virgo as quietly as possible, who appeared in a small flash of light. "Princess?"

Thanking the Gods that Virgo had forgone her usual punishment appeal, Lucy waved a hand at Erigor's prone figure. "Can you deal with that piece of trash Virgo? We have a bit of a situation on our hands as you can see and we don't need him waking up and being able to use his magic."

Virgo's only response was a small nod and a twinkle in her eye before she almost _skipped_ away to 'punish' the mage that had hurt her key holder. In seconds, Erigor was wrapped neatly in magic containing rope that Virgo had pulled out of who knows where with his mouth duct taped shut to keep him from spouting more annoying things when he woke up. ' _Good thinking Virgo._ '

Lucy's trusty spirit stood beside her again having finished with her task, grasping her hand and hauling the blonde into a standing position taking some of Lucy's weight off her injured leg.

"Thanks, Virgo. Could you stay out until we know that it's safe? I would feel a lot better with you by my side." Virgo's answering smile, while small, was enough to make Lucy happy. Her spirits were here supporting her, she would fight until her last breath if need be.

Standing in front of all the Masters and addressing them as a whole, she let her magic leak out as her eyes changed to gold and her favourite Star Dress form adorned her frame, twin golden blades materialising into her hands. "Please, stay here until we get an all clear from Erza. We will defeat this demon or die trying, you have my word as the last Star Child."

Makarov was truly stunned by Lucy's statement, pride flowing out of every pore of his body. ' _If only your Mother could see you now._ '

Meanwhile, an almost one-sided battle was commencing between the enlarged flute and the three mages.

While Lullaby was large and bulky, good for destroying leagues of foes in its path, pinpointing specific targets was not in its wheelhouse as was obvious by the way Erza, Gray, and Natsu flitted about wreaking havoc on the wooden giant's form. "STOP MOVING! I JUST WANT TO CONSUME YOUR SOULS!"

"Yo Gray! Do you think souls are tasty?"

"How the fuck should I know!? I'm not a soul whisperer!"

"SHUT UP! FOCUS ON THE DEMON! Let's end this shall we!"

With a rousing chorus of 'Yes Ma'am,' Natsu and Gray exploded into action. Gray throwing out an impressive array of ice arrows from his 'Ice Make Lance', Erza slashing away with a sword as sharp and deadly as her demeanour, and Natsu running around on the arms of Lullaby shouting curses and cackling, lighting the demon on fire with every chance he could get.

Lullaby finally decided that enough was enough. Throwing its head back into the air, it inhaled sharply and growled. "I will kill all of you!"

Magic energy exploded around them and the sound of the song the demon was about to sing made all the mages present feel slightly sick to their stomach. Black magic was a despicable thing, its side effects were quite potent.

However, after all that build-up, there was nothing. Not a sound or a squeak or a whimper from the flute. All that could be heard was silence. "What the hell did you humans do to me?!"

Erza smiled at the giant. "It seems that we punched enough holes in it so that it could no longer play its cursed song. How anti-climactic. Well, Natsu, would you like to do the honours?"

A feral grin greeted Erza from her right, Natsu had yet to reign in his Dragon. Seeing him with horns and claws was a little disconcerting, and the way that smoke was escaping from between his lips had her thinking about chimneys. "With pleasure Erza."

Streaking away towards a now stumbling demon, Natsu wracks his brains for the perfect spell to put Lullaby out of commission once and for all. ' _AH! I know just the one for this occasion. I hope Luce is watching…_ ' "With the flames of my right hand and the flames of my left, put the two together and this is what you get!"

"FIRE DRAGON'S BRILLIANT FLAME!"

Natsu threw the swirling ball of white hot flames directly into the face of Lullaby, a deep satisfaction rolling through him as he watched his spell connect to its intended target.

The resulting explosion rocked all within the vicinity back onto their heels, and Virgo had to grip onto Lucy's arm tightly to keep her from falling over. Natsu was a truly powerful wizard when he wanted to be.

After a moment's hesitation, Lullaby was no more, falling to the ground in a defeated heap before a bright light shone within its third eye for a few seconds, and then it disintegrated into a pile of useless ash.

Natsu jogged up to Lucy and swung her around in a circle while she giggled and let her Cancer form blink out of existence. "Did you see that Luce!?"

"I did Natsu, you were amazing! You all were absolutely amazing!" She addressed both Gray and Erza, as Natsu plucked Happy off the ground and settled Lucy in his arms.

"Well done to you as well Lucy, your mastery over your magic is such a short period of time is commendable." Erza's praise made Lucy's cheeks flush slightly, and Gray just nodded his agreement, his shirt lost to the wind again.

"Princess, I have taken the liberty of creating a tunnel for you and your companions to leave through after I noticed the exit had been blocked." An ever stoic Virgo appeared beside Gray's elbow, startling the Ice King into shrieking like a little school girl.

Sniggering, Lucy bowed her head in thanks. "Alright, Virgo. You may go back now. Thank you for all you did today, rest up."

With a whistle and a shout to follow him, Natsu lead the other Masters and his friends down through the passage and out into the blinding sunlight. "Well, that wasn't so bad, was it? Everyone made it out safe and sound, and the building is still standing. Although, they may had to rebuild the pool and soccer fields."

Master growls and rubs the bridge of his nose, mumbling about security deposits.

A giant groan was suddenly heard, and each and every member of the small party watched as the Clover Sports Dome collapsed in upon itself, crumbling into a massive pile of useless debris.

"You know Natsu, I think we may have gone overboard a smidge."


	24. Two: Drizzle

All rights to Hiro Mashima

* * *

~ **Part Two: Drizzle** ~

 _Verb: to rain gently and steadily in fine drops; sprinkle_

* * *

Laxus Dreyer's eye twitched in aggravation.

He was sitting in his grandfather's office staring at an interesting piece in the national newspaper, scowling darkly as sparks of angry electricity skipped along his knuckles and ran up his arms.

"CLOVER SPORTS DOME COLLAPSES AFTER MULTIPLE UNKNOWN EXPLOSIONS"

Folding the paper as gently as possible and laying it on the desk before him with exaggerated patience, Laxus finally looked at the four pale mages in front of him, as well as his diminutive grandfather, and Natsu's weird blue cat.

Unable to contain himself any longer, the lightning dragon slayer growled low in his throat and looked at Makarov with disbelieving eyes.

"What in the actually fuck happened out there old man? This was supposed to be a simple job for the Gods' sakes. We've taken down dark sects all over Fiore multiple times without this level of destruction happening." Laxus knows exactly what happened out there.

Natsu happened. Whenever someone says 'explosion' the stupid pyro isn't that far behind the statement with his gigantic grin and sadistic love of destroying other people's property.

Makarov chuckled awkwardly as he lit up another pungent cigar. "Well…you see my boy…I don't…really…Uhm"

"Do _not_ play the 'senile old man' card with me, Gramps. We all know that your brain is completely fine, no matter how many mugs of ale you imbibe in daily." Grandson starred at Grandfather, while the latter sweated and coughed awkwardly, and gave a weak smile to placate his irate successor.

"Laxus, don't blame the Master. I was in charge of this situation, and I didn't contain it properly. We all fell for a cleverly laid trap. I should have known what Erigor was up to beforehand. You may hit me for my carelessness." Erza bowed her head in penance as she waited for the blow to come.

However, before Laxus could even roll his eyes at the drama queen known as Erza Scarlet, the new mage, Lucy spoke up. "Excuse me? Laxus? We were given misleading information. We thought we were after a dark sect that was getting their rocks off by selling drugs laced with magic. Turns out that was just a side project to pass the time by a shadow mage named Kageyama. Our actual opponent was The Reaper, also known as Erigor, and Natsu took him out quite easily without any damage to the surrounding area." Lucy looked at Natsu with pride in her eyes, while Laxus seemed more dumbfounded than anything. ' _Natsu…didn't destroy…anything?_ '

"Then how the fuck did the Clover Sports Dome collapse? And why in the hell is the council blaming Fairy Tail for it?" Laxus shot them a pleading look for them to explain.

"Uhm…well… 'Lullaby' was a demon flute that played a cursed song of never ending sleep. However, it had a secondary form." Lucy winced as she remembered just how large that stupid wooden monster was. "The damn thing was as large as the sports dome itself, including the basement where the pool was, and the demon was the one who destroyed everything before Natsu, Erza, and Gray could defeat it together."

Gray chimed in to finish the story. "The damn Rune Knights only showed up after it all happened, and obviously saw us standing over the destroyed building, so…naturally they blamed us even though we had like…twenty witnesses. They didn't believe Bob or Goldmine because we have such close ties with those two Masters. They thought we 'influenced them' or some shit like that. It probably didn't help that we had a severely burned shadow mage shackled and gagged in the trunk of the car that we stole."

Laxus' eyes snapped to Natsu's. He knew it. Natsu always got carried away.

"Don't look at me like that you overgrown outlet. That bastard hurt my mate while I was…uhm…down for the count on the floor of a train. What was I supposed to do when I met him again? Step out of the way and forget that he whipped Luce so bad she still has bruises on her thighs and arms? Fuck that man."

The Lightning Dragon Slayer knew all too well about that instinct to protect their kin, especially his brood – should he chose to have any children – and his bonded. Laxus nodded in understanding towards Natsu.

Natsu beamed at the elder slayer and slung an arm around Lucy. "You should have seen her Laxus. She was amazing, she fought on that train like an old pro. She called up this huge bull spirit that blew one whole side of the car off and ripped up the floor boards. Luce is definitely Fairy Tail material."

The blonde male pinched the bridge of his nose to try to relieve his tension headache that was always brought on whenever shit like this happened. He loved Fairy Tail, and everyone was his family in this place, but honestly…they were crazy.

Just…so crazy.

Lucy looked contrite at the admission and gave a little laugh trying to brush off Natsu's praise at her destruction while looking anywhere but Laxus' exasperated gaze. "Uhh…I'm sorry about that. I didn't know that Taurus was so destructive when I called him out. It was my first time. I can pay for any damages that I did. Actually, I technically own that particular railway so it shouldn't be a problem if they knew I was somehow involved."

Gray choked on his spit. "What…what the hell does that mean? You own the railway?"

Lucy grimaced at her slip up. "My name is Lucy. Lucy Heartfilia. When my father disappeared years ago and was declared legally dead, I became the sole heir of the Heartfilia conglomerate and became the world's youngest billionaire overnight. I own that railway that we were travelling on. As well as most of the others in Fiore, as well as an airline and several bus lines." She kept her head down, her gaze on the floor as she waited for her new family to pass their judgement at her secret.

"Ah yes. You do look a lot like Layla. I knew I had seen someone that looked a lot like you years ago, but I couldn't exactly place it. I was only a little girl at that time and had just stumbled onto Fairy Tail after a rather…unfortunate childhood. Laxus was barely a teenager at the time." Erza stroked her chin in a contemplative manner, seemingly remembering ghosts of her past. Gray just nodded at Lucy's explanation. Natsu had already heard this, so he picked at the wood of his chair arm with a bored expression on his face.

"So, you don't care that I have so much money? Or who I truly am?"

"Tch. You're still the badass Blondie that kicked a guy so hard that she ruptured his testicle and then got a jump on Titania of all people. Doesn't matter if you have billions. You're still a Fairy Tail mage, and you helped out the Masters and the people of Clover and risked your life even though you could have said no and went on a shopping spree instead." Laxus shrugged his massive shoulders and shifted the massive amounts of paperwork around on his grandfather's mahogany desk.

A blinding smile lit up the room from the Celestial mage. "Thanks, Laxus."

"Whatever. I'll deal with all of this, the council will have to go through me before they get our money for this problem that Eisenwald caused. Gods, this is a fucking mess." Laxus waved his hand dismissively to the mages in front of him, his grandfather looked pleased enough to escape more of a scolding and scampered off towards Mira. The small group filed out chatting amicably among themselves about nothing important while Natsu exclaimed about how he was starving. ' _Typical flame brain…_ '

After they had gone, a green haired man with brilliant blue eyes poked his head in and offered a small smile. "You know Lax, you really are too hard on yourself. I've seen the report submitted by Erza, and they actually did quite well on this. Natsu didn't even blow something up and restrained himself from fighting with Gray like the hooligans we know they are. Well, for the most part."

Laxus purred – and denied that fact almost immediately – as his chosen messaged his tense neck muscles. "I know Freed, you know that I have to be a little strict. That old man isn't going to reprimand them, and I want to be a good Master one day. And yes, it is unbelievable that Natsu didn't completely fuck this up, I think it has something to do with Lucy. It's almost like they've completed the mating ritual."

"Well, they might have. I will ask Ms Lucy next time I see her. Did you see that Natsu pulled out his Dragon Force to defeat Erigor and the demon? That hasn't happened since that one time years ago."

Shrugging, the hulking blonde swivelled in the chair until Freed was trapped between his massive thighs. "I know. It only happens when a Dragon Slayer is filled with potent emotions. You know that. But enough about Natsu and his stupidity. I need something else to relieve this damn headache."

"Wha-"

Laxus cut off Freed's question by grasping the cravat around his slim neck and pulling him down into a scorching kiss.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"Thank you, Wendy! I can't feel any pain anymore!" Lucy twisted her leg, looking at the place where the large gash from Erigor's wind magic sliced her. Nothing was left except for a thin white scar, and the bruises from that stupid Kageyama were all gone as well.

Lucy wasn't overly fussed over the marring of her skin. She was sure that she would receive many more scars in her time as a mage and reminded herself that it was just something that told a part of her story. Of the battle, and the way she fought, and how she protected her family.

"Oh, it's no problem, Lucy. I just do what I can to help everyone. But, please, no extremely hard fighting for at least a few days. Your muscles were cut and need time to cohesively join together like they were before you left. My magic can only do so much."

Smiling and jumping up onto her feet from the infirmary bed, Lucy ruffled Wendy's hair. "Will do Wendy. Thanks again!" She left the basement room to join her friends – no, _family_ – upstairs, as Wendy smiled shyly and tried to get her pigtails back in order.

Emerging into the light of the late afternoon, Lucy glanced around and sighed happily, just observing everyone mingling about as they laughed and talked with each other. A slightly lazy afternoon was just what they needed after that Eisenwald debacle. She chuckled as she watched Erza argue with Kinana about that amount of strawberry sauce on her cake (Dammit Kina! I don't want just a drizzle! I want the whole damn bottle!) And inhale a piece of disgustingly sweet dessert disregarding everyone around her. Mira and Cana were whispering in low tones together at the end of the bar, each with their own look of happiness gracing their face. Elfman was challenging the men to a 'real test of manly strength' by arm-wrestling them. Gajeel seemed to be holding his own against the Beast. Levy was ripping her way through large tomes of information with her magical glasses affixed to her face, Natsu and Gray's impromptu brawl over something or other not even fazing her concentration.

Lucy would never get used to the feeling of family that Fairy Tail held within its walls. Even when being questioned by a taciturn Laxus in the Master's office, she could see the worry and love that shone out of his eyes. Even if he was trying to hide it behind his gruff exterior.

She was brought of her daydreams by two large warm arms wrapping around her waist while heated lips descended onto hers in a kiss that took her breath away. Only one man could make her breathless like this.

Natsu.

The pink haired man nuzzled her mate mark and kissed it tenderly as Lucy brought her hands up to run them through his unruly locks. "Hey, Luce. Wendy patch you up?" His voice was soft and happy. Natsu was relaxed and overjoyed that his mate was healed. Wendy had done the same to his shredded arms earlier and sent him out before Lucy so that he could fill his aching stomach with some of Mira's fire chicken.

Lucy stole another quick kiss from his lips before she answered with a nod. "Yah, that little girl is amazing." Lucy admired the resolve of the young Dragon Slayer. She was a kind teenager but was straightforward and forceful when it came to her patients and their health. ' _Maybe Wendy was hanging out with Erza too much._ '

"Look, all that's left is a scar. But, I can't do any strenuous activities with this leg for at least two days so that my muscles fully heal." Lucy brought Natsu's hand to her uncovered thigh so that he could feel the slightly raised skin of the healed wound. She shivered as warmth coursed through her body from his tentative touch.

Natsu dropped his forehead onto Lucy's and smiles at her as his eyes dance with laughter and something a bit darker. "Alright, Luce. Whatever Doctor Wendy says. I'll just have to do all the work, eh? Don't want you to lift a single finger tonight."

Heat shot down between her legs at her Dragon's insinuation. Now that 'Lullaby' had been taken care of, there wasn't anything keeping them from having each other as they had almost a week prior. She had been missing her alone time with Natsu these past days. Every waking minute was filled with the search for the dark sect, and they had roomed with Gray and Erza. She needed Natsu to love her tonight.

Lucy grasped Natsu's ever-present scarf and pulled him down towards her lips for another sloppy kiss full of tongue and teeth. She jumped up and grasped his waist with her legs, brushing their centres together as her arms wound around his neck and grabbed handfuls of his soft hair. She could feel him getting excited just as fast as she was. It seemed that he needed her just as much as she needed him.

Natsu's deep growl resonated out of his chest as the dark scent of his mate's arousal slapped him full in the face. He grabbed her full ass in his hands and deepened the kiss, determined to wring out those beautiful whimpers and mewls out of her if it was the last thing that he did.

"Tch. Didn't peg you guys as perverts. Foreplay in the middle of the hall, such naughty children."

Pulling away from each other abruptly, Lucy and Natsu looked around the room to see that they had been almost mounting each other in the middle of the dance floor, in the middle of the afternoon, while their whole family surrounded them, grinning lecherously all the while. ' _Damn. Luce really distracted me._ ' Natsu was so close to yelling 'Fuck it,' throwing her down on the nearest table, and taking her as hard and as fast as he possibly could. But, he was sure to get a kick to the balls for all his trouble from his litter supernova. And he didn't want all those all perverts in Fairy Tail to see his Lucy in the throes of passion.

Cana, all nutmeg brown hair and shit eating grin, chuckled as Lucy's face flared up in embarrassment and hid from everyone's piercing gazes by turning into Natsu's muscular chest.

Natsu rolled his eyes and kissed the top of his mate's blonde head. "Shut it Cana. Unless you want me to tell everyone about that time two Christmases ago."

Now, Cana prided herself on being an unbeatable drinker, the best in all Fiore, and wouldn't live it down if anyone found out about the time she challenged Bacchus to a contest and subsequently lost to him. His price for winning was her bikini top that was her signature clothing and had to walk out of a bar completely naked from the waist up in full view for every patron to see. Cana didn't really care about that as she was proud of her curvy body, but her demon girlfriend would decimate the fucker if she ever found out about this particular instance and Cana actually liked Bacchus as a drinking buddy. Not to mention her father would break him down into tiny pieces and whine about it to her constantly.

Cana knew when she was backed into a corner and immediately shut her mouth, cutting off all the teasing comments that she had ready to spill out. ' _When did Natsu get so smart? How the fuck did he know about that time?_ '

"Whatever Natsu." Cana left in a whirlwind of spiced rum, B-lining it towards the bar where Mira was shooting her questioning looks.

Lisanna cleared her throat as the silence surrounding everyone was stifling. "Uhm Natsu? What's going on?" She gestured between a still hiding Lucy and Natsu's smug grin.

As a response, Natsu twirled Lucy around and pulled down the high neckline of her blue sweater.

In plain view, so everyone could see, were four identical marks, evenly situated over her collarbone.

Her mating mark.

Every Dragon Slayer and their mate immediately got it, seeing that they had marked they're chosen by biting them as well, albeit in a different place.

"LU! I'm so happy for you!" Levy's shout could be heard from the back corner of the dance club where Gajeel's table was situated. The Iron Dragon Slayer smirked and let out a small laugh.

Lisanna was still confused, as were most of Fairy Tail. "Wait. What happened? Is that a bite mark?"

Natsu was glowing with barely contained pride as Lucy offered a small smile. "Yes. Lisanna…Natsu marked me as his mate about a week ago, the night before we left for Onibus."

Silence.

"WOOHOO BITCHES! I WON THE POT!" The excited cackle from their resident card mage broke everyone out of their stupors, as they all groaned at the amount of money they were about to lose to the drunkard.

Honestly, hadn't they learned never to doubt Cana's cards?

With everyone so distracted, Lucy leant up towards Natsu's ear pulling his fleshy lobe between her teeth. She heard his breathing hitch as she nibbled it lightly. "Take me home, my Dragon." She breathed in a low moan.

Without giving it a second thought, Natsu scooped up Lucy and Happy in his arms and bolted towards the back door. "I'm all fired up!"


	25. Two: Vapour

All rights to Hiro Mashima

* * *

~ **Part Two: Vapour** ~

 _Noun: a visible exhalation, as fog, mist, steam, smoke, or noxious gas, diffused through or suspended in the air_

* * *

Mira started to restock the shelves with vodka and gin. They had gone through a lot of the clear liquors last night, thanks to her girlfriend's innate ability to know how to sell the right drinks to the right people. It was almost as if Cana could predict what people were craving.

She smiled at everyone's antics, a wooden table collapsed underneath Gajeel and Gray's combined weight. Fairy Tail might be a top rated night club at the moment, but it would always be home to her no matter what happens.

It was mid-morning, and most members had come in early, ready to tackle a new day and find a job, or just hang out and converse with their teammates and friends. Mira looked around, but couldn't spot Natsu or Lucy anywhere. Neither of them had been seen since the Dragon Slayer had hefted the Star Child over his shoulder like a caveman and bolted for the back door.

Mira giggled quietly. She knew that they wouldn't be seen until later on that day if her instincts were correct. They always were. Lucy might be limping her way here if Natsu had his way last night.

The peaceful atmosphere was upended as quickly as it came, proving that the darkness in the world can be kept at bay by the light for only so long.

Fairy Tail's front door was slammed open with so much force that the window pane that sat within it shattered completely. Mira watched as everyone went silent and the Master swung around on his bar stool to watch the proceedings with curious and excited eyes.

That door was almost never used during the day, the ones dedicated to this club as more than a place to party _always_ used the back one. Something interesting must have happened.

Before anyone could lift a finger and question the intrusion, Mira felt a tugging at one of the souls that she ruled over within her body.

 _Halphas._

Without conscious thought, the soul completely took her over and made its first appearance to her family, who only watched her in confusion as her hair grew wild and a blue body suit covered her form. This soul was once an avenging angel, the most powerful of its kind and the periwinkle blue wings that stretched behind her back showed this soul's commanding status and overwhelming need to dominate.

Only Makarov knew that she had collected this soul, and where it came from, but she disregarded the shocked looks that she was receiving from her family no mind. She usually had a tight rein on these souls within her, but it seemed that this was an extenuating circumstance. There was no time for speculation.

Only action.

Mira spied the intruder standing in the doorway. A short man with ridiculous sideburns the same colour as her natural ash white hair. He was dressed in an expensive tailored suit and bright purple tie, tasteful amethyst cufflinks glinting dimly. The early evening light filtered in behind him, showing the lazily swirling dust motes within the club's interior. ' _Hmmm…looks like I need to clean again…_ '

She immediately understood the situation as the man looked over at her with a gleaming smile that seemed a bit too wide and a bit too sharp. She knew that greeting well, after all, how many times had she used it herself?

The soul that was blanketing her own soul – the strongest one she possessed at the moment – answered back with its own spine-chilling grin and said only one word that immediately had everyone readying their individual magic, poised to attack if need be.

"Demon."

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

' _Why can't I breathe?_ '

Flailing about for an extended minute, Lucy finally dislodged the large object laying on her chest. She watched in bemusement as Natsu's head and naked upper torso rolled over off of her and onto his side of the bed. He murmured in his sleep and nuzzled the pillow before he started to snore like a chainsaw once again.

He doesn't wake at the rough shove she had given him, so Lucy snorted in a very unladylike way that conveyed her amusement without being too loud. ' _Typical Natsu_. _Dead to the world…_ ' She still felt a weight on top of her, so she glanced down once again to find a very content looking Happy laying over her legs. Lucy tried to move him off of her, but the stupid cat turned into a wet noodle and gave her a baleful look complete with soul-sucking puppy dog eyes. She absolutely hated those, she was so weak to his dastardly ways.

So the blonde gave up. ' _How in the hell? Happy's a cat, not a dog! How can he do this to me? I cave every time!_ '

Lucy looked around for Natsu's bedside alarm clock but can't find the damn thing, so she gave up on finding out the time and decided to start her day. There is no way in hell she could get back to sleep with Natsu snoring so loud that it sounded like a truckload of course gravel being thrown into a wind turbine beside her.

Slipping out from under the warm pressure of Happy's prone body, she wandered towards Natsu's bathroom to perform her morning routine. As she washed off yesterday's makeup, she glanced towards her mating mark and the new bluish-purple bruise that stood out against her milky white skin. Lucy shuddered as she remembered the feel of her mate's lips and tongue on her skin.

 _Natsu slammed her back against the closed door. His hungry mouth on hers in a sinfully delicious kiss that had Lucy tingling from head to toe. His strong, warm arms caged her in and kept her in place. Natsu didn't want his Lucy moving an inch unless he allowed her too, Doctors orders after all. He was the one in charge tonight. He would pleasure her so thoroughly that she would beg for him to take her in every position, all night long. Natsu placed hot, wet kisses down her neck, his sharp canines scoring shallow scratches on her beautiful pale neck. He could feel her pulse jump, and she let out a long low moan. Oh how he loved how she sounded, it got him fired up in all the right ways. "Natsu…" His name leaving her lips in that soulful, husky way was a powerful aphrodisiac to him, and he felt his need for her spike drastically. His questing mouth found its way to the mark that he had left on her, binding himself to her for all eternity. He nuzzled it for a moment with his nose and kissed it with all the love he held in his body. Lucy's hands came up to latch onto his shaggy hair, pulling him closer towards her skin. He smirked against her collarbone and latched onto her pulse point, sucking hard enough to leave a dark bruise in his wake._

Lucy shook off the goosebumps that covered her arms and legs and tried to ignore her tightened nipples as she stripped off her clothes – which only consisted of one of Natsu's large soft shirts – and stepped under the warm spray of the shower, the vapour from the high heat of the water filling the bathroom, partially hiding her from view. She lathered up her body with the bar of soap but hissed at the twinge of pain that emanated from her hips. Looking down and twisting just right, she could see the distinct outlines of fingers branded onto her tender flesh.

 _"I need you Lucy, so damn bad. Let me take you all night long…Please." Lucy couldn't think, only feel. Her hungry Dragon was insatiable. She could only nod as his hands gripped her sides, hard enough for her to feel a twinge of painful pleasure. The surge of heat that she felt at his desperate actions shot straight down towards her still covered core. "You smell…so…delicious." Natsu was panting against her throat, his hands slowly creeping up her shirt, brushing against the bottoms of her tender breasts. "I can't wait any longer Luce, I'm fucking starving." Lucy moaned as Natsu pushed her towards the kitchen, ripping his shirt off in the process. His voice stirred her growing arousal so easily. "I'm going to feast on you all night long until you can't walk."_

She blushed prettily. Natsu always knew just what to do to get her going. Even though they had been joined only a handful of times, he played her body like a well-maintained instrument, plucking the most delightful sounds out of her and making it look absolutely effortless. Lucy wrapped a large black towel around her frame, placing another one around her hair and wrung out the excess water. She slipped out of the bathroom – donning Natsu's t-shirt once again to just cover her naked form – and strolled out into the kitchen determined to sate her growling stomach. She glimpsed the island that divided the living room, and kitchen and her eyes widened as she spied an absolute mess covering the floor.

 _His strong, tanned arms swung out and pushed everything off the island in the middle of the kitchen, pots and utensils alike, the cacophony that resulted scarring a tiny blue cat into hiding in the bathroom. Natsu hefted Lucy onto the countertop so that her delectable ass was close to the edge. He parted her thighs and without any preamble ripped her black satin panties from her form and dove under her skirt. With no time to really think, Lucy, let out a loud moan of his name as his wicked tongue traced heated patterns over her throbbing clit. He slowly inserted a single finger, giving her only a moment to get used to the size before adding a second. "Oh, Gods! Natsu!" Lucy was so wound up, the stimulation from his tongue and fingers was enough to send her straight over the edge with no build up. Stars burst behind her eyelids as she shouted her pleasure. Lucy was brought down to earth again by the sight of her Dragon, his mouth slick with her release, his onyx eyes gleaming with lust, smirking at her as he slowly licked his glistening fingers._

She moaned as her imagination started to run wild with all the naughty memories of her night with pink-haired Dragon Slayer. He was truly an animal, a beast, and Lucy knew that she had struck proverbial gold with her man. True to his promise earlier that day, she hadn't needed to lift a single finger. She perused the fridge as she mused and finally settled on a simple early morning meal of fluffy scrambled eggs and mounds of salty bacon. She pulled out all the ingredients she would need – as well as a rainbow trout for Happy – and set to work. Soon enough everything was waiting to be devoured by her and her hungry Dragon. She walked through the living room towards the slumbering man, gathering the rest of their discarded clothes as well as a few scraps of red fabric.

 _Her fingers fumbled at the clasp of Natsu's belt, her mouth seeking out the skin on his neck as he removed his scarf. Huffing in anger, Lucy tore the button off of his jeans and ripped the zipper down as fast as humanly possible. She stripped him of his clothing before she pushed him down onto the couch, her eyes glinting with mischief. As Natsu reached up to grab her and pull her onto him, she slapped his hands away. "Be a good Dragon and wait Natsu…" With a single wink, Lucy slowly removed her shirt, watching as his pupils dilated and his breathing picked up as her breasts came into view. She turned around to hide her front from view and unclasped her bra. As she removed it from her body – still facing away from Natsu – she could hear a deep voice rumble in a way that had her knees trembling from pure need. "Luce…don't fucking push me tonight. I can't take much more of your teasing." She should have listened to him, but Lucy wanted to be daring for once and slowly slid her skirt over her hips, bending down low to the ground giving Natsu an unobstructed view of her glistening slit. She straightened up and glanced down at Natsu only to be taken aback by the sight. Patches of red scales littered his tanned skin, and Natsu's pupils were almost non-existent. His Dragon was emerging. With a feral roar, Natsu grabbed the Star Child and threw her unceremoniously over the arm of the couch. He smacked her one side of her ass. "You naughty girl. I told you not to push me tonight. I guess I'll have to punish you then…" In one motion Natsu was sheathed completely within her wet heat. Lucy screamed at the instant orgasm his heated length gave her. Without a moment's pause, Natsu set a punishing pace giving Lucy no chance to come down from her second high. All she could do was scream._

Lucy's breathing hitched. Natsu was a devilish man, he could make her all hot and bothered with nothing by memories, and he wasn't even _awake_. ' _I can fix that, easily._ ' She smirked, her smile oddly reminiscent of her mate's smirk. It usually spelt trouble. She crept up towards the snoring lump that was wrapped snuggly in a forest green comforter ready to pounce on the unsuspecting man. She glanced in the mirror that sat on Natsu's white dresser on one side of the room, seeing her reflection in all its morning after glory.

 _Natsu lifted Lucy up onto his dresser, still sitting thickly inside of her core. She kneeled in front of the mirror and gripped it on both sides with her hands. Lucy glanced at the Dragon in the mirror with a questioning look, a little apprehensive at the shift in their spot. He grabbed her chin and directed her gaze back to her own reflection. "Don't look away Lucy. I want you to see yourself cum." The punishing pace was back, his thighs and lower back bearing the brunt of the work, but it was worth it if he could see Lucy watch herself in the throes of passion. It was feral and very, very lewd. Lucy had never seen something so erotic as herself being serviced by the one she loves. "Fuck Natsu! Faster!" He could only comply with her demands, his black eyes watching Lucy in the mirror. The sight of her panting and watching herself almost had him finishing on the spot. "Shit…Luce. You feel so good…too good." A low whine escaped his throat as Lucy's walls fluttered around him, his words spurring her on to push back against his thrusts, their bodies connecting with smacks of flesh on flesh. Natsu couldn't hold it off any longer, his Star Child was just too perfect. With another roar and a blast of flames from his open mouth, Natsu released into Lucy, his red hot essence filling her to the brim. As it hit her cervix, Lucy came for the third time that night, her vision flashing as everything became hazy and distorted. She could feel Natsu kiss her shoulder blade tenderly. "I love you so much." She could only nod, her voice deserting her at the moment._

She ripped the bedding off of her prize in one fluid motion. She needed her Dragon to ravish her right this instant, she was done with waiting. She watched as Natsu groped around for the lost blanket, as he sleepily blinked his way back into the waiting world. "Luce…what's going on?" His voice was so deep and rough from sleep that she visibly shuddered as a spark travelled down the length of her spine. Lucy was done playing coy, so she quickly pulled the only piece of clothing that she had on over her head and flung it towards a far corner of the room. Natsu's questioning expression quickly morphed into one filled with lust and need.

"I need you, Natsu. Now."

Without another word, he pounced, flipping them around on the bed, so he towered over her and proceeded to kiss her so thoroughly and passionately that her bones burst into flames and her skin melted. Breakfast was long forgotten on the table, Happy already having dove into the fish she had left on the counter.

The lovers were so engrossed in their morning delights that they failed to hear the loud knocking on the door, nor the fact that it opened only seconds later.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"So, you need our help to eradicate this restless spirit from your casino? Is that correct Moka?"

The newly revealed head of the Demon Tribe nodded his head in acquiescence. "That is right Makarov. I have heard of your work in the community, especially the deal with the demon earlier this week. I believe that a team that you put together would be able to help rid Galuna Island of the evil presence. My bottom line is dipping quite low, and I don't like it. There will be a large reward, bar the damages done by your own wizards, of course. As well as this."

Moka held up a single object, capturing everyone's gaze. "I believe that you will find a use for _this_ at least, won't you?"

Makarov nodded, wondering how the demon had known about _that_ , then waved at Laxus. "My grandson will take care of this from now on. I have to go to ERA in the morning to deal with the aftermath of the Clover Dome collapsing. I'll send you the bill for the destroyed front door at another time." At that remark, the diminutive man turned in his seat towards the bar lifting his beer mug for a refill. "Halphas. Another please."

Mira's latest soul gave a gleaming smile. "Of course, Masssster." It purred.

Moka smiled at Halphas' antics, he enjoyed the abilities of the barmaid's magic immensely. He inclined his head in thanks towards Laxus and left the building.

Laxus got straight to the point. "Erza, your new team will go on this mission. Go and prepare the necessary paperwork and deal with the travel times and tickets for the train, you will need to be in Hargeon by no later than tonight." The re-quip mage bowed her head and pulled out her lacrima com to complete his bidding. Laxus looked around for his alpha and the Star Child, but couldn't spot the hothead or a glimpse of blonde hair. "Has anyone seen Natsu or Lucy today?"

Everyone present shook their head. Mira – having let go of Halphas by this point – sniggered slightly. She knew where they were, but wouldn't give anything away to Laxus. Hopefully, she would have beautiful god babies to spoil soon, if the display between the new lovers last night was anything to go by.

"Fine. Gray, go to Natsu's apartment, and let them know what's going on, then rendezvous with Erza when the details are set." Gray shucked off his shirt, flinging it behind his head while moving towards the back door.

Cana ambled up to the bar, having finally woken up enough to deal with the daylight. Mira gave her a rundown of everything that had gone down since she had been absent. "Natsu and Lucy haven't been seen since they basically mounted each other yesterday night. Laxus sent someone to get them."

Cards flipped onto the counter as the brown haired mage tried to read a little of the future. She whistled slowly and cackled. "Hot damn! Lucy is a lucky woman to bed a dragon with that kind of stamina! I would suggest that the person who is going to go find them wait at least…forty more minutes. They aren't nearly done." Lecherous grins sprouted around Fairy Tail as Cana's words sunk in slowly.

Mira nodded and waved to her old rival. "Erza! You need to tell Gray to hold off on getting Natsu and Lucy for about an hour!"

Cana spit out her whisky as she heard who had gone to retrieve the Dragon and his mate. She hurriedly threw her cards on the table to determine what would happen to the hapless Ice King.

She looked at the symbols on the beer-stained countertop, as the information soaked into her brain. "Oh, Fuck. This will be so goddamn funny! Laxus basically just signed his death warrant."

A clatter was heard from one side of the dance club, and all that could be seen was a flash of red as Erza sprinted off to intercept her teammate, hopefully being able to keep him from being decapitated in the process.


	26. Two: Cleanse

All right to Hiro Mashima

This Chapter is dedicated to **Court818** , I hope you enjoy the confrontation between the Ice King and the Dragon. Also, if you want to write a story, go for it! My opinion is that everyone has the right to write! PM me if you want to chat about it more!

* * *

~ **Part Two: Cleanse** ~

 _Verb: to make clean; to remove with water or as if by cleaning_

* * *

Gray could count on three stable things in his life and prided himself on those facts that kept him grounded day in and day out.

One: Fairy Tail would always be his home.

Two: Contrary to popular belief, he wasn't actually a pervert, even though his stripping habit would say otherwise.

Three: Woman were meant to be respected, even if it was a one night stand.

As soon as he opened the door to the Fire Farts apartment to try and locate his absent teammates, a small voice in his head told him to be cautious. He was walking on thin ice. This was a Dragon's Den, and that particular Dragon was the most vicious of his kind.

Unfortunately for Gray's health, half of his 'Facts for a Stable Life' flew out of his brain, as soon as he turned around from closing the front door.

Yes, Fairy Tail was still his home, nothing would change that. But, rules two and three could essentially not exist at this point, as he was treated to a sight that had him instantly rock hard and horrified all at the same time.

The two…lovers…hadn't closed the bedroom door when they had started on their activities, and Gray had an unobstructed view straight to their bed.

"Fuck! Luce! You're so fucking tight… Gods you feel so good."

Belatedly, Gray knew he should turn away, run right out the door and never look back. Watching Natsu having…ugh…sex was easily the most horrifying sight he had ever seen in his short life. He was about to slink out the front door again but froze in place due to the most erotic shriek he had ever heard.

He watched Lucy, her head tipped back in ecstasy as she rode Natsu viciously, her own hands plucking her taut nipples and her voice reaching octaves he didn't even know existed. Natsu gripped her hips and pounded into her with wild abandon, until Lucy yelled her lover's name once, her legs trembling and her face and neck flushed, her eyes screwed up as if in pain.

Gray realised too late that he had just witnessed both his teammates reach their climax. Natsu's…he would disregard and hopefully, it wouldn't give him nightmares. But, Lucy's…he would keep that image in his mind alive for as long as physically possible. Rule two was dead and buried in a shallow grave by this point. Gray reasoned that if he truly couldn't be with the sexy blonde, then he would just have to be a bit of a pervert and use this situation to his advantage the next time he needed to get off.

Which honestly could be right about now, he was still completely hard, and his member was throbbing with need.

Too bad he didn't have more presence of mind to get himself out of Natsu's apartment before he started to daydream about himself servicing Lucy in much the same way that the Dragon Slayer had previously. He didn't even know how long he had been staring at the naked couple – while trying to ignore the fact that he could see Natsu's naked form, complete with flaccid cock – when Natsu's eyes snapped up to his.

It took a split second for Natsu to go from 'sated bliss' to 'raging demon.' He skipped right over mad and went straight for livid. Gray swallowed thickly, he knew he was fucked.

Between one blink and the next, a still naked Natsu had Gray by the throat pinned against the wall, the plaster and paint flaking off and cracking from the force. Natsu's pupils were essentially slits, and smoke snaked out of his snarling mouth.

"What in the actual fuck Gray? Explain yourself, and don't lie! I can smell how fucking turned on you are! NOW EXPLAIN!"

Gray knew he was screwed when his rival used his actual name and not some petty, childish insult. Gray would have loved to answer Natsu so that he would be able to see another day with his head still attached to his body, but the pink-haired man's grip was so tight that he was essentially choking, the edges of his sight were disintegrating into black.

"Enough Natsu. Put him down and let Gray speak for himself, you'll knock him out if you hold him like that any longer." Lucy had come in the nick of time when she had seen her mate bolt out of bed towards the front door.

Natsu snorted in derision but decided that he would give Lucy what she wanted. He let go of the Ice Prick's windpipe, and Gray dropped unceremoniously to the ground, gasping and spluttering for air. He shot a grateful smile towards the Star Child – who was wrapped in nothing but a sheet – but flinched when Natsu gave him a quick, sharp warning growl.

Lucy hugged her mate from behind, silencing his overprotective noises and hiding from view more effectively. "Gray, why are you here exactly? And why didn't you knock?"

"Laxus asked me to come, our team has a new mission at that casino run by demons. And I did knock! Twice! But, I guess you were too…uhm…busy to notice…and for the Gods sakes! Natsu! I don't want to keep seeing _you_ naked." Gray huffed out in one breath, his voice straining.

Gleaming ivory horns spiralled out of Natsu's hair while a thick red tail wrapped itself around Gray's abdomen, constricting around his lungs. When Gray looked up at the normal jovial Fire Dragon Slayer, all he saw was a beast covered in hard scales ready to rip his throat out. "What did you fucking say? You weren't actually talking about my Lucy…naked? Were you Gray? Because that would be the dumbest thing, you have ever actually done." Natsu's voice was quiet and calm, his body unwavering.

It was absolutely fucking terrifying.

Before Natsu could do anything – like gut the Ice King in front of him and set fire to his entrails – the front door was kicked off its hinges, and crashed into the opposite wall, splintering on impact. Lucy yelped a bit at the new intrusion, while Natsu only rolled his eyes.

Erza heaved great breaths of air into her lungs while she gathered her wits. ' _I hope I'm in time to keep Gray alive._ ' She had sprinted to Natsu's home without a second thought and prayed that she wasn't walking into absolute chaos.

Instead of a calm situation with all parties quietly talking together while Lucy packed her bag and Natsu raided his own fridge, she caught a glimpse of one of the…weirdest situations she had ever seen.

Gray was being held up by Natsu's tail, his breathing shallow and quick, and his eyes wild with unrestrained panic. Natsu was buck naked, standing without shame in his own living room, with fire starting to engulf his arms from the rage he was feeling. His clawed hands clenching and releasing as if he wanted to wring a certain Icicles neck. Lucy, clad in only a light cream sheet was hugging Natsu from behind, seemingly the only reason he was showing even a sliver of restraint. She looked as bewildered as Erza did at the situation unfolding in front of her.

Happy was silently munching on what looked like a trout on the couch, completely at ease with all the commotion around him.

Erza coughed, and everyone's eyes snapped to her own. "Explain. Please. And Natsu…cover yourself."

The Dragon unwound his tail from Gray's form and stepped behind Lucy snorting in disgust at Gray's dishevelled appearance. "This idiot walked into my house while Luce and I were…occupied."

Erza and Lucy flushed at this statement, the redhead waved her hand to get him to continue.

"Instead of leaving right away when he realised it, he stayed and watched us… _finish_."

A sharp gasp left Lucy's lips. ' _So that was why Natsu was so furious._ ' Lucy found that she was annoyed at the Ice Make mage as well, taking a peek at them by accident was understandable, it could have happened to anyone who had come to get them, but standing there and watching her climax? That was an intimate act between her and Natsu. Her Dragon should be the only person who saw her like that, and now Gray knew just what she looked like when she came apart at the seams.

Gray shot an apologetic expression at both Natsu and Lucy, ready to make amends for his mistake. But was caught off guard by a fist to the face.

A resounding crack filled the air, while Gray was knocked clean off his knees, landing heavily on his ass.

Blood poured out of his nose, staining his shirt – which he miraculously had on still – bright red. "FUCK! What the hell!?" Gray raised his eyes to meet an absolutely livid Star Child standing naked as the day she was born in front of him, fist raised and eyes blazing gold.

At this moment, there was just too much stimulation for the poor Ice King to handle, so he collapsed onto the floor in a dead faint.

Lucy gathered up the sheet that had slipped off of her body when she had darted forward to punch Gray's peeping ass. She huffed once and stalked off towards Natsu's bedroom to get dressed.

Natsu cackled and let his Dragon Force shift away while he prodded the puddle formally known as 'Gray' with one foot. "You fucking deserved that Fullbuster." A sadistic grin pulled at the corners of his lips. "You're lucky that my mate was here, or I would have ripped you to pieces, asshole." Natsu felt better voicing his opinion, even though only Erza could hear him at the moment. He turned towards Erza, confusion and mirth warring on his face, still not bothered by his lack of modesty. "What mission are we going on?"

"Galuna Island. Pack for two weeks."

Natsu spun around. "We'll meet you at the train station in one hour. Take the Popsicle with you when you go. And fix my fucking door Erza!"

The re-quip mage only snorted in acknowledgement. ' _Things have certainly gotten much livelier with Lucy around…_ '

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

After the most awkward six-hour train ride the party of four – plus an annoyed Happy sitting in Natsu's backpack once again – had ever witnessed, Erza took control of the situation to try to move past the fact that she had now seen all three of her comrades completely bare before her eyes.

She was used to Gray. It was inevitable with his condition. She didn't baulk much at Lucy's nudity either, she was a fellow woman, and Erza could agree – in a purely platonic way – that Lucy was perfectly proportioned and Natsu was a lucky man.

But seeing the man that she deemed for all intents and purposes her little brother without a shred of clothing on? That was a bit too much for her psyche to handle. She had seen him in a bath before, but his lower half was covered. She would much have the mystery still in place than to know what Natsu's family jewels looked like. All she wanted to do after seeing _that_ was cleanse her eyes with holy water and pray to the Gods that it would never happened again.

So she pushed it to the back of her mind and rented another stupid non-aerodynamic vehicle from a very nice man with brown hair who looked a bit hesitant when she asked whether or not the car would hold up in high-speed chases.

Gathering her comrades on the train platform and clapping her hands together to get their attention, she started to explain the mission to the best of her abilities while walking to their new mode of transportation, something that had Natsu dragging his feet on the pavement.

"Alright. I know we've all had a…interesting day, to say the least. But we are now on a mission and will have to put away this problem until another time. We are going to Galuna Island, one of the most beloved casinos this side of Crocus. It also happens to be run by a tribe of very friendly demons. They believe that they are being haunted by a malevolent spirit, which is why you were requested Lucy. Their leader, Moka, was very impressed with a disposal with Lullaby and requested us to accompany you. Makarov just made things easier and deemed us a new team together."

Lucy beamed at the red head, while Natsu and Gray gave each other scathing looks. "Oh, Erza! I'm so glad to be on a team with you guys. But are you sure you want me, I'm still so new to magic."

"Oi! Luce! You're amazing. End of story. Besides, I wouldn't want to be on a team without you. Although…I don't really want that bastard on the same team, but if Gramps made the team, then…nothing I can do anyways." Natsu grabbed her hand in his giving it a quick squeeze to try and convey what he was saying was the absolute truth.

"Shut up you Pyro. It's not like I want to be on a team with you either."

"Fuck off you Ice Dildo!"

"Shove it up your ass you Flaming Prick!"

Erza's gauntleted hands slammed down onto the top of both of their hands. "How about both of you idiots shut up?! You're giving me a damn headache with all you're griping. If anything, Lucy and I should be complaining about having to put up with your constant whining." Her eyes flashed with barely concealed anger, while the boys shut their mouths with twin looks of petulance gracing their faces. "Just get in the car and stay quiet!"

They all piled in after heaving all their luggage into the trunk, Erza driving once again, Gray shotgun, and Lucy with a Natsu shaped lump in her lap. Happy sat jauntily atop Natsu's head, ecstatic to be released from his knapsack prison.

The re-quip mage signalled and then started down the highway at a much more leisurely pace than the last time she was driving. "Now, as I was saying. We will be meeting another guild at Galuna, Moka requested us both because he needs this issue dealt with as quickly as possible."

Gray rolled his eyes. "Who are we meeting there? Sabertooth?"

"No. Lamia Scale."

"Shit. Whose team is coming?" Gray knew this was karma's way of getting back at him for his earlier fuck up. He could feel it.

Erza's mouth quirked up into a sardonic smile. "Jura's. And yes, your brother will be there too."

Gray slumped forward in his seat, his head flush with the dash in front of him as he groaned his displeasure.

"Fuck."


	27. Two: Steam

I would like to dedicate this chapter to **Grizzly98** who asked an excellent question:

 _Do you have a schedule for updates?_

To answer this…I don't. I find that my writing is super sporadic. Some days I'll get in the groove and write for hours, sometimes all I can do is sigh a bunch and look at a blank page while praying to the great writing gods to hit me with some type of inspiration.

That being said, I don't like to leave updates for too long, as people get antsy, and if you guys are enjoying this story, who am I to deny you delicious updates? So for the time being, I will try to get out a new chapter twice a week.

And to those who are still reading this story from the very beginning, thank you for everything. I am still working on 'Blank' and my newest story – which hit me out of the blue one night and absolutely blew me away at how well received it was – 'Stolen' so keep your eyes peeled for updates for those as well.

This will only be a smidge of a filler chapter. :D

* * *

All Rights to Hiro Mashima

~ **Part Two: Steam** ~

 _Noun: water changed to this form by boiling, extensively used for the generation of mechanical power, for heating purposes, etc…_

* * *

"Welcome to Galuna Island, please make yourselves comfortable in Moka's office, he will join you in a moment." A very nice young woman greeted the Fairy Tail team and led them to two large heavy doors.

Four mages and a blue cat filed into a bright, spacious office, filled with couches and chairs with a very contemporary black and white theme. Splashes of purple could be seen everywhere, apparently the accent colour. Overall, it gave off the impression of professionalism and warmth.

Before Lucy could really get a good look at the décor, her inquisitive gaze was immediately drawn towards five of the most interesting people she had ever seen.

Obviously, they were the mages sent to meet the Fairy Tail delegates from Lamia Scale, but the sight of the oddest assortment of people knocked her train of thought right off its track. And that was saying something after she had met everyone in Fairy Tail. Her mate ate fire for the gods' sakes.

The first person was an absolute behemoth who strode right up to Erza and crushed her gauntleted hand in an enormous one of his own. "Erza, lovely to see you again. If I had known you would be heading up the team sent to join us, I would have brought my new katana along for you to view. I found it hidden in a cave beneath Mount Hakobe and it seems to have an evil entity residing inside. After you had expelled that lightning demon from that Bo staff two years ago, I thought you would like to have a crack at it."

"Ah, a pleasure Jura. I would very much like to see the sword you speak of. Bring it by Fairy Tail, and we will send the evil spirit within it back to whence it came." Erza clapped her other hand on his shoulder. "Justice will be done." Their hands separated and Lucy was surprised to see that Erza's wasn't squished as flat as a pancake. ' _Damn Erza is scary strong._ '

Seemingly satisfied, the giant nodded and smiled. He then turned towards the other curious people in the room. "How rude of me, let me introduce the others that the Old Hag sent with me to deal with Moka's request.

Jura gestured to each mage in turn. The first was named Sherry Blendy. Full of fuchsia hair and a 'love' for love and her fiancé Ren, Sherry was able to show off her Doll Attack magic by turning the rug they were standing on into a soldier. The next, a stoic short man with the craziest eyebrows Lucy had ever seen was introduced as Yuka, a nullification user, able to negate magical attacks of all kinds. ' _Weirdest hair I've ever seen…_ '

Toby, a peculiar mix of dog and man, used paralysis abilities which were wielded with elongated claws.

The last, a silver-haired mage names Lyon Vastia, whose cocky smirk seemed to rile Gray up to no end, showed off his own magic before Jura could prompt him. Three eagles made entirely of ice and snow swooped down and soared around the room, their claws and beaks glittering like daggers. Ice-make magic like Gray, but he specialised in animated objects, mainly animals. Gray could only roll his eyes as he watched as everyone became enamoured by the eagles.

Until they flew too close to Natsu and his abnormal body temperature melted them like hot butter in a frying pan. "Tch. That was pathetic Lyon. Even I can make ice that Natsu can't melt easily."

Lyon only smirked. "Of course you can, _little_ brother, you know I mastered Ice-make before you did from Ur even though she started teaching us at the same time. You were always so _slow_."

"What did you say you mother fuc-"

Erza cut off Gray's growled tirade with a swift but well-placed backhand to his face. "Jura, I apologise for his rudeness. I would like to introduce everyone to you now so that we are all familiar with each other's abilities."

"Obviously you know Gray Fullbuster, Lyon's half-brother. Also known as the Ice King." Everyone nodded while Lyon guffawed at Gray's nickname.

"Really Gray? Ice King?"

"Shut it, Lyon. You know I didn't choose it." Dark eyes glinted as Gray's lips twitched upwards in a sardonic smirk. "At least it's better than yours. Isn't that right 'Cold Emperor?'"

Erza waved her hand towards Natsu, raising her voice above Lyon's comeback. "This is Natsu Dragneel, also known as 'Salamander,' son of the Fire Dragon King Igneel. Beside him is our most recent addition to our guild. Lucy Hea-" At this, Erza stopped herself with a single eyebrow raised towards Lucy, silently asking whether or not she could tell them her last name.

Lucy gave Erza a single nod. She was done hiding if Fairy Tail didn't care about her status, then she wouldn't care either.

"This is Lucy Heartfilia, the Star Child. She is bonded to Natsu."

Not a single eye twitched with the new revelation of her name, but gasps were heard after they knew her as a Star Child or a mate. It was an interesting twist for Lucy. Most people gaped at her ability to throw absurd amounts around if she wanted, not the fact that she was someone's chosen.

It was a bit weird, but a good weird.

Jura smiled and bowed low to Lucy. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lucy. I knew Layla for many years and was saddened by her passing. She would have been very happy that you found your way to her other family."

Natsu squeezed Lucy's hand as a silent show of support while happy tears prickled her eyes. "Thank you, Jura. It's nice to meet someone who knew her while she practised magic. I would have loved to see her in her element."

"I am Erza Scarlet, also known as Titania. I use a rare form of re-quip magic that can change out armour and weapons." To demonstrate, Erza changed into her Black-winged armour then back into her normal everyday breastplate, greaves and gauntlets.

"Lastly, that-" Erza pointed towards a blue lump purring on the floor in between Natsu's outstretched legs, "-is Happy. Natsu's cat."

"Why'd you bring a cat? What's the point of having your pet with you." Sherry asked in a haughty tone, tossing her long hair over her shoulder.

Happy hissed his displeasure at the doll attack mage who recoiled from the stiff feline in surprise.

Natsu bristled. "Happy's not my pet, he's my friend. And he wanted to come. Simple as that."

Gray saw an opportunity to poke fun at his rival. "That's a stupid reason you Flaming Fucker. How can a cat _want_ to come anywhere?"

Lucy watched as her lover rounded on the Ice Mage, eyes blazing. The temperature of the room started to fluctuate between the two, an inferno straight from hell on one side and outer space cold on the other. "Shut up Fullbuster. I haven't forgotten you're… _misstep_ from this morning. You're on thin fucking ice as it is. Don't make me rip your limbs off and beat you with them." Natsu practically hissed the words through clenched teeth. "And I mean all _five_ limbs Gray."

The mage in question disregarded the pun and blanched, realising that Natsu was completely serious. Gray pointed his finger at the Dragon Slayer's face, neck flushed in embarrassment. "I already said I was sorry, you FireBug!"

"No, you fucking didn't! I would remember that! Perverted Stripper!"

"Yes, I did! I am not a pervert! Flaming Dildo!"

"You are such a fucking pervert! What the hell was this morning then if you aren't a pervert? And why the hell are you taking off your goddamn pants Ice Princess?!"

"SHIT…You know that I don't do it on purpose!"

Jura turned towards Erza who was fuming at the fact that Gray and Natsu had the utter gall to fight when they were clearly the best of friends. "Miss Erza, what happened between these two? Should we know so that we can factor the rivalry into the teams later? Why is Mister Fullbuster stripping?"

Scrambling to get a lid on the situation before Erza decided it was imperative to the mission for the team from Lamia Scale to know about Gray watching her and Natsu having sex, Lucy let her magic bleed out into her body.

Yes, it was amazing sex, but the fact that someone was watching kind of soured the whole experience for her. It was her first time taking charge after all.

"BOYS! Enough! Natsu, sit down. Gray, no you haven't apologised and STOP UNDOING YOUR SHIRT!" Her magically enhanced voice, singing the song of the stars coupled with her bright, glowing golden eyes stopped her mate and the Ice King from their immature name calling fight before it could disintegrate into an all-out brawl. She had no doubt that Natsu would actually try to do the things he threatened.

Natsu and Gray sat down again while Erza nodded at Lucy with a pleased look on her face. "Thank you, Lucy. Jura, I believe that this morning's…problem was embarrassing enough for all those present to live through once, I don't really think it appropriate to relive it. However, we will definitely separate those two…and Lyon into different teams. Gray has a stripping problem, from when he learned his magic. I will make sure to keep him out of the actual casino."

Lyon looked scandalised that he was lumped into the same category as Natsu and Gray, but everyone could see the competitive glimmer in his eyes when he looked at his brother.

Lucy released a massive sigh and mouthed a quick 'thank you' to Erza, who only smiled in return.

The mahogany double doors opened and the short demon who was known as 'Moka' strode in and gestured for everyone to sit while he sat behind a large desk. "Thank you all for coming. I need this situation dealt with quickly and most of all, discretely. My patrons, magical and non-magical alike are being scared away from my fine establishment due to some 'freak accidents.' Two nights ago, every light bulb in the entire building burst from a surge in electricity. There are lacrimas on the generator downstairs that were specifically designed to prevent surges, but it happened anyway. There are strange noises coming up from the basement at all hours of the day and night, food and drink are mysteriously spoiling much faster than they should. Our slot machines all went haywire paying out on every pull yesterday morning, and many employees and customers feel as if they are being constantly watched, especially when they are on the casino floor. Please, help me rid Galuna Island of whatever is haunting it."

Erza was the first to answer. "Of course. We will get rid of whatever is scaring everyone. Have no fear."

Moka visibly relaxed at the re-quip mages reassurances. "Thank you. I have reserved two of our grandest suites for you. Please ask the front desk clerk for your keys. Please feel free to use all of our amenities at your discretion, I want you all to explore the whole building to try to eradicate the evil presence as fast as possible. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to call me."

As pleasantries were exchanged and well wishes said, the two teams exited Moka's office ready to tackle the request. Only one shivered as a very familiar feeling ran down his spine. Dark eyes darted around the casino, quickly searching for the reason he felt his skin crawling. Finding nothing, he hastened to catch up to his group.

But he was unable to shake the feeling that he was watched.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

Makarov sat at his desk, sipping a glass of excellent whisky without a single care in the world. His children were growing up to be fine mages, Natsu had finally calmed down his destructive tendencies and stopped his pointless feuding with Gray, he had finally met Layla's daughter who was quite the looker, and his own grandson was in prime condition to take over as Master when he wanted to step down.

Yes, life was good.

He should have knocked on wood to keep from jinxing it, but alas, he neglected to. The words had only drifted through his mind before a single knock sounded on his door. Trepidation filled the air.

"Come in."

A worried Mira appeared in front of his handsome desk. "Master, you really need to see this." A single white folder was shoved into his hands. It held two sheets of paper, but what was written on both set Makarov's teeth on edge.

"Mira, have these reports been confirmed? Are you sure the attacks are only perpetrated by children?" The old Master feared the answer, but he knew that there was no hope to be held that the She-Demon's answer would be anything other than a confirmation.

"Yes. I'm sorry Master. It's just like five years ago, isn't it? It's happening all over again."

"I'm afraid so Mira. We must act quickly before they disappear underground again. Get me Gajeel. He is the only one we can trust to get the information we need."

His door shut with a quiet click, but Makarov barely heard anything, too engrossed with the reports before his eyes. All he could think about was about was a young man with red eyes and days long past. No matter how much he wished that this was all an elaborate joke or someone's idea of a cruel prank, he knew that history was repeating all over again.

Hopefully, this time, they could change the outcome.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

All the mages gathered in the sitting room of Erza's suite. The red head paced back and forth collecting her thoughts before she nodded once and turned towards all those who sat on the couches. Jura stood beside her.

"Alright. We must be systematic in our search so that we can finish this request in a minimal amount of time. Jura, Gray, and Yuka will go to the basement and look into the generator. I will go with Lyon and Toby and go from floor to floor, searching for any strange magical signatures. Natsu, Lucy and Sherry will go to the casino and try their best to blend in as best as possible." Her eyes turned sharply towards Natsu and pinned him to his couch.

"And Happy…will apparently take a nap." Happy was dead to the world, snoozing up a storm on the pillow of an armchair.

Jura nodded. "Well done Miss Erza. I have no objections." He turned towards the new teams. "Any questions?"

When none came forward, Erza glanced at the clock. "Alright. Let's get some sleep now, it's late. We will meet here to start our search at eight tomorrow morning and split into our teams."

The mages got up and trudged towards their designated rooms, yawning while saying their goodnights to their newly made friends, ready for whatever tomorrow brings.


	28. Two: Soak

All Rights to Hiro Mashima

The chapter is dedicated to ThatOneFriend-3 who called Gray an Icy Cinnamon Roll, which he is completely.

All your questions about Sora and Yuki will be answered super soon!

* * *

~ **Part Two: Soak** ~

 _Verb: to lie in and become saturated or permeated with water or some other liquid_

* * *

"Just look at all these people! They all looks so happy and in LOVE!"

Natsu scowled at the pink haired mage and grunted. He thought being paired with Sherry would be awesome because they shared the most badass hair colour on the face of the planet of course. But her incessant declarations about how everything was 'love' made him feel that he was standing next to a female version of Elfman.

Which was creepy in its own right.

His mind drifted off into his own memories as Sherry blabbered on and on about someone named Ren and how he was the epitome of love or something like that. He wished that Lucy would hurry up from taking a peek at the blackjack tables. He needed someone to save him from this one-sided pointless conversation.

All nine of the mages, plus Happy, had gathered in their sitting room after a good night's rest. Natsu and Lucy had opted out of indulging in a late night pleasure session seeing as the walls of their suite were damn thin, and they silently agreed that they didn't want to give a certain Ice King any more spank bank material.

So, instead, they got ready and cuddled, spooning it up half-moon style. Which Natsu believed was almost as good because he could hold her close to him and just breathe in the scent of his chosen, one of the only things that effectively calmed the raging ball of energy that sat at his core.

Lucy, on the other hand, woke up absolutely thrilled at the feeling of being crushed against Natsu's muscular chest, her back to his front. It made her feel…precious. Like she was a treasure, and he was a greedy dragon who wouldn't let her out of his sight.

Which wasn't far from the truth. With Natsu's Dragon heritage from Igneel, which came with those pesky instincts on mating, also came with an inherent need to horde all things that he found beautiful.

This included Lucy, the maiden with spun gold hair.

He may have had dreams over the past month that had something to do with stealing her golden locks away from her and making woven bracelets out of it, but he would never in a million years divulge that to anyone. It just made him feel super creepy.

Having finally split into teams – only after a fair amount of whining on Natsu's part that he was hungry – the search began to find out just who or what was causing the strange occurrences at this casino. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened yet, but it was still early in the day, barely passed noon.

Not that Natsu could really tell what time it truly was because the damn casino apparently hated the idea of natural light or they didn't believe in windows.

He looked over the spacious room, noticing how the scantily clad servers dipped and weaved through all the tipsy patrons expertly balancing trays of exotic looking drinks. Everything looked so elegant, everyone was dressed to the nines and he had never felt so out of place in black slacks and a button up, his scarf wound tightly around his neck. ' _Damn, should I have worn a tux? Why is everyone so decked out?_ "

He was snapped back to reality as his best friend wandered over to him and his quite frankly annoying partner. "Well, I can't find anything that could be causing all these freak accidents. Just a bunch of pervy old men who smell like cheap cologne and Tabaco or waitresses who have their hands full with fending off the mass of horny perverts." Lucy tugged at the hem of her own outfit, trying to cover her long legs while feeling the stares of said oglers on her skin.

Noticing how uncomfortable she looked, Natsu tugged his beloved closer to him and stared down anyone who looked at her the wrong way. He loved his mate more than anything on the planet and thought her curves and beautiful assets were the Gods' gift to him for being such a good Dragon most of the time, but damn did he hate it when other men looked at her with lust. She was his little star and should be looked at with love and devotion, not leered at.

"Well, fuck. I don't want to go back to Erza and let her know that we didn't find anything useful. She'll probably think that we were slacking off and skin me alive." Natsu grinned at his mate. "You'll be fine, though, she loves you like a sister already. Gives you elevated status over me, the annoying little brother."

Sherry sniffed delicately at being excluded from the conversation. "Well, I think that we should find the others and break for lunch then come back with fresh eyes. Who knows, there might be something here that we didn't see before."

Surprisingly…that was a good idea, and Lucy knew she wouldn't have a chance at dissuading Natsu as soon as he heard the word 'lunch.'

Natsu pulled his Lacrima Com out of his pocket to send a message to Titania for a rendezvous place and time but shook his head as the 'no service' alert kept popping up. Which made no sense to him seeing as the damn thing ran on a fucking magic infused lacrima instead of a regular battery.

He shook his head. "Luce, I can't get any service here, magical or otherwise. Let's go look around this floor so that I can send a message to the pervy Popsicle and Erza about lunch."

They weaved around the gamblers and employees crowding around the slot machines and betting tables towards an exit that was hidden in the back of the room behind closed double doors.

"Oh, this is beautiful! I'm in love!"

Natsu could feel the need to punch Sherry in the face rising with every word she uttered. _'Dammit, that shit doesn't even make any fucking sense!_ ' They had stepped into a grand ballroom, filled with marble floors, high ceilings and sweeping archways.

Lucy skirted around behind him and glanced around. The place was even posher than her mansion, and that was saying something. "Huh, these demons go all out don't they?"

Her companions could only nod, especially since the décor was a little…strange.

"Luce…why is there a gigantic iceberg in here?"

For once, she didn't have an answer for him.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

When Natsu had finally received an answer from Erza and Frosted Flakes, he ushered the two other women towards an Asian inspired grill in the back of the hotel. He watched as Lucy's eyes glittered at all the different sights and strange people along the way. They passed three other restaurants, countless wet bars, lavish bathrooms, two expensive looking shops filled with jewellery that glimmered dimly in the light from the chandeliers, and oddly enough, a single innocuous chapel.

Sherry's eyes had all but turned into hearts at the mention of a place where people declared their love for one another. Natsu watched Lucy closely at the mention of weddings and white dresses, trying to gauge her reaction towards the ideas presented by the overenthusiastic Doll Attack Mage.

She had smiled politely and commented when the situation called for it but didn't squeal like most women would have – well most women named Mira.

Natsu knew that most girls dreamed of their wedding, but he hadn't really thought of it before. He was a Dragon, and the mating ritual that they had completed earlier the week before was more binding than any piece of paper could ever be.

Then he spied something interesting. Lucy had blushed when Sherry mentioned something about making up vows on the spot, whatever that meant. He knew right then that if Lucy wanted to get married so that they could show to the whole world – not just the magical community – that they belonged together and that they were devoted to one another completely for the rest of their lives and beyond, he wouldn't have any problems with it.

The little chapel sitting between a boutique and a restaurant was suddenly looking very appealing. After this mission was done, Lucy and he had a lot to talk about.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

Finding themselves seated in a large booth with all the other mages and their benefactor Moka, in one of the six restaurants that were housed within the gigantic casino, each team had started to report their findings and ask the necessary questions.

Erza had known that this would be a relatively slow mission until the mystery was solved, but the fire between Gray, Natsu and Lyon was rising like magma in an active volcano and completely derailing the important conversations due to the fact that she had to stop listening every once and a while to glare pointedly at three men. While Lyon and Gray had a silly sibling rivalry going, Natsu and Gray were exchanging heated glares at each other. The redhead expected this turn of events, seeing as Lucy was shoved in between the ice mage and the Dragon Slayer to try to keep her mate calm and away from Gray. She thought that Gray would at least be apologetic, but it seems that she was mistaken. He looked almost…smug with the position he was in.

Although, the situation might have been a miscalculation on her part seeing as there were so many people in the booth, to begin with, that Lucy and Gray's thighs and arms were essentially sitting flush together. Gray looked flustered, Lucy was extremely uncomfortable, and Natsu looked downright murderous.

So Erza deemed it high time to move this meeting along and avoid the damage that would inevitably come if she was reading their body language correctly.

Her team had found nothing of interest on the floors of the hotel attached to the casino, just an appalling amount of mice in the walls if the skittering and scratching they heard on the top floor was any indication.

Jura's team in the basement had checked out the overloaded lacrima generator and all but confirmed that the amount of energy that had gone through it was so much that it had burnt the circuitry in the original generator and the backup. The casino was currently running on one that didn't have magic running through it, much to Moka's chagrin. The demon was uneasy with things from the purely human world.

Sherry reported the amount of 'love' on the casino floor was amazing, while Natsu grunted out that everything smelled fine.

When everyone had dissolved into their own conversations over a light dessert and coffee after their five-star meal, Lucy decided to talk to Moka about the casino and hotel.

More specifically about the decoration choices. While the casino floor had a very…elegant and refined feel, complete with gigantic chandeliers and red carpets, Lucy wanted to know more about that ballroom that they had stumbled on. It was just so different than anything she had seen before.

"…what made you choose that colour scheme?"

It was one of the many questions she had, which also included inquiries about his tasteful office, and Moka grinned at her inquisitive nature. "Well, my late son Bobo chose many of the things here and helped me quite a bit when we just started. This land that we had the casino built on was left to our tribe by our ancestors. He believed that with the income from this place we could give our tribe an easier time. Each member receives a stipend from the earnings you see."

He continued after seeing her saddened but understanding gaze. "Bobo disappeared a couple of years ago, he was declared legally dead, but I don't know if that's true or not. I can only hope that I will see him again."

Lucy smiled as Natsu draped a large warm arm around her shoulders, giving her forehead a quick kiss. He had been listening to their conversation after all and knew where his mate's mind would go. "I know how you feel, my father vanished years ago." She leant forward over the table in front of her and crossed her arms. "All we can do is keep them alive in our memories, for now, right?"

He chuckled as she snuggled closer to the pink haired Dragon. They were a good pairing, each supportive and loving unconditionally of the other. "Correct Miss Lucy. Do you have any more intriguing questions?"

"Actually, yes. What made you decide to place that iceberg in the ballroom?"

At the mention of ice, Gray perked up, turning towards their conversation and away from fighting with Lyon about the correct way to stand while creating ice attacks. It was his element after all.

Moka nodded at a server who poured them another cup of coffee and chuckled. "Oh that. I commissioned that particular piece almost three years ago for a gala." He lowered his voice. "I wanted it created out of Hokobe ice so that it wouldn't melt. The patrons all thought it was glass or something like that. It was a huge hit. So I kept it in there."

Gray and Lyon cast sceptical gazes at the leader of the demon tribe. "Moka, not to be rude, but someone was lying to you. All ice melts, even Hokobe ice. It's a common misconception. Ice harvested from deep within that mountain contains a trace amount of magic, which makes it last so much longer than regular ice, but it does melt. Usually, it takes a week or so."

Lyon started to shove Toby and Yuka out of the booth while Gray quickly followed him. "We need to see this ice."

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

Gray tapped the ice in front of him with a single finger, as if listening to the sound it made. "Yeah, this isn't Hokobe ice, that's for sure. This room would have to be so much colder to maintain something this big for that long."

"Then what exactly did I pay for?"

Both ice experts could only shrug, although they both had an idea of what it was. It was so rare and deadly that they didn't want to think about that particular option.

Jura stepped forward and swiped his hand over the thick ice, wiping the condensation off onto his robes. "This is a spectacular site if nothing else. I can feel the magic it holds, but cannot tell whether it is friend or foe."

Natsu, Gray, and Lyon inspected the large decorative piece from all angles until they were lost from sight behind the ice.

The Fire Dragon Slayer was nonplussed and disgruntled. He had never met anything in his life, especially ice, that hadn't melted when it came close to his high body heat. If Gray ever learned this magic…then Natsu would be in a heap of trouble when it came to their brawls. "Tch…stupid slanty eyed bastard."

He let his magic trickle down to one hand and held it in front of his body, resting on the ice sculpture. His flames, which had never let him down before, didn't affect the ice at all. ' _Maybe it just wasn't enough, after all,…this is magical ice._ '

At his command the inferno in his belly spread to his extremities, lighting his entire body on fire.

The ice stood fast as if mocking him. However, loud gasps could be heard from the front of the iceberg. Not one to miss out on something interesting, Natsu turned and started to speed walk around towards the group until he heard Lucy's voice ring out.

"Natsu! Don't move!"

So he halted in place completely confused and slightly annoyed that everyone but him knew what in the hell was going on.

"What the fuck is that?"

"…is there something in the ice?"

"A monster?"

"Is this the culprit causing all the disturbances?"

Lucy was stunned. She didn't know what to say. When Natsu had graciously lit himself on fire, he had essentially backlit the ice, revealing that there was something massive stuck inside of it.

Erza scooted beside her and clapped a single palm on one of her shoulders. "Nice catch Lucy. I believe that we have found whatever is causing these problems." Lucy didn't want to tell her that she had almost overlooked it because she thought it was just a weird decoration, but she was glad of her overly curious mind. So she smiled tightly at her friend.

While everyone chattered on and speculated about what they had found, Lyon and Gray had yet to say anything. They hadn't even moved from their spots on the floor, twin looks of stunned disbelief masking their usually cool features.

Lucy moved closer towards her friend, opting to poke him once in the shoulder. He seemed almost catatonic. "…Gray? What's wrong? Are you alright?"

That seemed to snap him out of whatever daydream he was in, and Gray shook his head. No, he was not alright. He really wished he was. The bane of his existence was sitting here in a ballroom on display for the world to see.

The thing that had killed his mentor.

The monster that had decimated his family.

The demon of destruction, captured in ice like a sick twisted popsicle, frozen in an act of depravity.

It made him sick.

His voice was finally forced out of his throat, thin and choked. His upper lip and brow soaked with sweat. "It's a demon. One of Zeref's."

All conversations stopped as everyone listened intently to him. But Gray couldn't say anything more, his rage and fear were starting to get the best of him.

Lyon placed a cool hand on Gray's naked shoulder, his brother's shirt having been lost ages ago in the restaurant. "We've seen it before. When we were with our teacher…"

The silver haired man turned to Jura. "Its name is Deliora, The Demon of Destruction."

Jura whirled around and set his stony gaze upon Moka. "Who did you commission this from? What was their name?"

Moka bristled at the implication and Jura's accusatory tone. His tribe was peaceful and had nothing against the human race. They didn't associate with Zeref or the abominations that he had created with his black magic. "It was a lovely young woman, dark hair and full figure. She had a very peculiar name."

Natsu had finally rejoined the group while Lucy whispered in hushed tones about what they had found, they waited for Moka to continue.

The demon leader snapped his fingers. "Ah yes. She said her name was Ur."

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"Thank you for meeting with me Gajeel."

"Tch. It's not like I had anything better to do. The shrimp's head has been stuck in her books and on her laptop for two days now. She's trying to help Bunny Girl out and find all the other keys or something. She was mumbling something about the Seis though, you might want to warn Salamander about that when they get back."

Makarov inclined his head in thanks for the information. He was well aware of the situation concerning the disbanded Oracion Seis Gang but had no idea what it had to do with their newest addition to their family. He waved a hand in front of his face in a dismissive manner. "I must get to the point Gajeel. We need you to go undercover again."

Black Steel's normal glowering face lit up with a sadistic smile. "So the rumours are true? He's finally come out of hiding hasn't he?"

"That's correct. It's the same situation as five years ago, but infinitely more dangerous. We don't know if you were found out before they went underground." No matter the situation, he would never force any of his children into a dangerous, potentially fatal confrontation.

Gajeel's red eyes glinted with barely contained glee. "Don't worry old man. Leave it all to me, I've still got a few tricks up my sleeves. I'll leave immediately after I tell my mate."

Makarov knew that this would be the man's answer, after all, they had waited five years for them to crop back up. "Stay safe Gajeel, and come home soon."

"Will do. I'll bring Jose down this time. That's a promise from a Dragon."

The old man couldn't find himself to doubt the hulking pierced man, somehow he knew that everything would come to a close this time.


	29. Two: Submerge

All Rights to Hiro Mashima

This chapter kicked my ass all over till it was black and blue! I had once scoffed at the mere mention of writer's block, but I can tell you I am a complete and utter moron and hypocrite! It is real!

AND IT SUCKS.

* * *

~ **Part Two: Submerge** ~

 _Verb: to put or sink below the surface of water or any other enveloping medium; immerse_

* * *

" _What did you just say?_ "

Gray's voice is low and feral. Something that Lucy normally associates with the Dragon Slayer's in her life, the Ice Mage looks the picture of terrifying. He spits the words at Moka as if they are poison in his mouth and he can't even stomach them anymore.

In contrast to his half-brother, Lyon looks like he wants to be violently ill. His face – which is as white as snow – blends in almost perfectly with his hair.

Moka opens his mouth, then closes it, choosing his words with an uneasy care. He eyes Gray warily as the Ice King grinds and gnashes his teeth in his anger. "The woman who found me this piece, she told me that her name was Ur."

Gray exploded, the air around him becoming dangerously cold freezing over the floor and much of the walls except the area around Natsu. Lucy shifts closer to her other half, leeching off of his abnormal body heat.

One minute, Gray's eyes hold only fury and a deep-seated pain, the next…he slumps, sitting on the floor his head caught in his hands as his shoulders shake.

The whole group watches as the ever stoic Ice-make mage breaks down in front of them and _sobs_.

Erza turns towards Lyon, eyebrow quirked in a silent question.

The Cold Emperor sighs and ruffles his hair, the white spikes becoming even more unruly with every pass. "It is physically impossible for Ur to have sold you this. There must have been a mistake…or…or…fuck! Someone must have been lying! Goddammit!" Lyon seems to be gathering his anger as well, the temperature starts to drop at an alarming rate.

In an attempt to calm her comrades, Lucy steps forward towards Gray's prone figure still sitting on the slippery floor. "Gray, could you be mistaken? How are you so sure that Ur wasn't the one?"

Hiccupping slightly, Gray turns weary eyes towards his friend. "Because we watched her die."

With that said, the mood of the room turns even more sombre if that were possible.

"What? You witnessed her death?" Lucy's voice holds pain and suffering for her friend. She can almost relate to him, her mother did die after all. "Gray…please…let us help you." She kneels in front of him and takes a single hand of his in both of her own.

His skin is so cold it almost burns her.

"Deliora killed our family. Wiped out our whole village. Lyon and I were found by Ur, and she taught us how to use Ice-make magic. That's why we both strip, she taught it out in the elements of one of the Northern provinces. One day, I decided that I was strong enough to kill this demon on my own. Gods, I was so stupid! I was just a fucking upstart kid that thought he had surpassed his teacher. I left alone, in the dead of night to confront Deliora. When I found him, I was almost killed by one attack. Ur found me in time, but there was only one way to get out of that situation. _Iced Shell_."

Gray breaks down again, unable to go on. He gathers Lucy in his arms and cries quietly into her shoulder.

Natsu doesn't say a word, he can tell that his rival truly only wants a shoulder to cry on. Purely platonic.

Lyon takes up his mantle and continues. "Iced Shell is a forbidden spell, only to be used in the direst of situations." He turns towards the hunk of ice containing Deliora. "It turns the body of the caster into a cage, made entirely of ice. There is no way to break it. No known spell or incantation. It is the strongest substance known. That's why Natsu couldn't melt it."

"So, you're telling me that the ice around Deliora…is actually Ur? Fuck that's so messed up. She sacrificed herself for you, didn't she? No one should ever do something like that." Natsu's voice rang out in the expansive hall, echoing off the walls.

It was silent for almost three full seconds, the air filled with a tension that wasn't there previously.

Gray surged forward out of Lucy's arms, eyes blazing and nostrils flared. It was the most furious that anyone had ever seen him. Natsu had all of half a second before Gray decided to do something incredibly stupid in his rage.

"ICE-MAKE ICEBRINGER!"

Erza gawked at the unexpected ferocity of her comrade, but no move to stop him from swinging the gigantic sword composed of ice at Natsu's neck. Ironically enough, the abruptness of his movement and the strangeness of the situation rooted her to the ground, as well as everyone else including an incredulous Natsu and a terrified Lucy, to the floor as if they were composed of the same ice Gray was wielding.

However, something strange happened before the attack could connect. A new voice could be heard from the shadows by the grand double doors.

"WATER LOCK!"

A bubble of crystal clear water encased Gray, completely submerging him in the undulating liquid. This, coupled with the surprise over suddenly being soaked, snapped the raging Ice King out of his murderous mindset.

All eyes swivelled to the new arrival, silently trying to determine if the person who stood with her pale arm outstretched in front of her was an enemy or ally. Bright blue hair and sparkling blue eyes were all they could see before the figure darted forward to stand between Natsu and the water holding Gray suspended above the ground.

"Juvia will not let her darling Gray be taken in by his demons. Juvia will only remove the water once Gray promises to calm down."

With a quick nod from the water logged Ice Mage, the woman released her spell letting Gray flop onto the floor, wet and panting. She smiled demurely at him.

As if a switch was flicked, the new arrival clapped her hands together and gave Gray a look of undying love that Lucy had not even seen on Natsu's face, and she knew that he loved her with his whole being. This was something…else. Almost desperation. No, this was absolute and utter infatuation.

Mind you it only seemed to be infecting the interloper.

"Oh, Gray! Juvia is so happy to see you!" The woman – Lucy believed that her name was Juvia – attached herself like a barnacle onto Gray's arm, purring like a contented cat into his ear. Giggling like a school girl the whole while.

Gray, on the other hand, looked entirely confused and downright uncomfortable. He tried to shake off Juvia, his efforts were unsuccessful. His eyes pleaded with his friends for help, but everyone was _still_ stuck to their spots. Now more than ever.

There was no rescuing Gray from this…problem.

Natsu snorted his amusement as a lick of flames left his smirking mouth. He reasoned that Gray deserved this attention for all the crap he had put Lucy and him through over the past three days especially.

A strangled sound left Lyon's body. Everyone's eyes turned towards him and were entirely surprised with what they saw.

The silver haired man looked like he had found the Gods and were gazing upon their faces. He seemed to finally find his voice as he uttered only one word.

"Beautiful."

Lucy couldn't help but agree, but kept her opinions to herself. Juvia looked a touch unstable, and she did not want to be caught up in that shit storm. While Gray tried to shake her off for the second time and Lyon plucked up his courage and tried to say a full sentence to Juvia, Natsu offered Lucy a hand and hauled her off the cold, wet ground.

He bent down to whisper in his mates ear unintentionally – when he was lying to himself, it was totally intentional – grazing the shell of her ear with his sharp canine. "Uh, what the fuck is going on?"

She looked deep into her mate's eyes, trying to fight off a pleasurable shiver, and shrugged. Usually, Lucy had the answers, but this situation was so far outside her wheelhouse that she was at a complete loss. It was slightly entertaining, though.

Jura finally took charge and untangled Juvia from Gray – much to her displeasure – and started to question her.

Was she the one behind the attacks on the patrons of the hotel and casino?

No. She only just arrived.

Did she have any idea about Deliora or who 'Ur' was?

No. It was the first time she had ever heard of those names.

Where was her stamp?

She didn't have one, she was alone, but was wanting to join Fairy Tail to be closer to her Gray.

How did she know Gray?

"Juvia met her handsome Gray in the club Fairy Tale weeks ago. We left and made love in his car. Then in his kitchen, then against the wall, then again in his bed..."

This answer seemed to set off a chain reaction within the stricken Ice Mage. First, his face bloomed into a brilliant blush, but then he seemed to remember something about her story that drained all the blood away from his cheeks. He tried in vain to cover Juvia's mouth with his hands before she spoke again.

But alas, he was too late.

As Natsu gawked at his rival secretly planning to outdo his apparently impressive stamina with Lucy and a whole night fuck fest, most all other mages present had the good grace to either blush or to pretend they couldn't hear Juvia's words.

Until she kept speaking, and everyone's eyes were riveted on her as if the proceedings were a horrible car accident that none could look away from.

Juvia's voice obtained a very low gravely tone as her eyes flashed with restrained anger. "...However, Gray called out a different woman's name when he climaxed that fourth time. He didn't say Juvia's name." Her hands curled into claws and her face contorted into one that would only be fit for a demon. "Juvia will find this 'Lucy' and fight her for Gray's attention. She is my love rival, and Juvia will be the only one for Gray."

At her exclamation Lyon wilted like a dying flower, pouting like a child, while Lucy held her face with her hands, trying to mentally will away her blush that spread from her chest all the way up to the tops of her ears.

The Dragon Slayer to her right – whom had loosely been holding Lucy to his side with a single arm over her shoulder – crushed his bonded to his torso and tried to shield as much of her from the _almost_ apologetic looking Gray who was trying to shoot them a silent 'sorry' without uttering a single word.

But Natsu was having none of that. This fucking asshole would undoubtedly be reincarnated as Satan's toilet paper, of this he was sure. Fire exploded outwards from the Fire Dragon, engulfing him in flames while his horns, talons and tail ripped their way through his clothes.

Lucy was surrounded by his warmth, it was calming, but also invigorating. She witnessed looks of complete shock and awe grace her comrade's faces. She knew what they were seeing, a Dragon of a man encased by fire holding onto her like she would float away if he let go.

She also knew without a doubt that Natsu's flames would never ever hurt her. They felt comfortable and helped to stave off the last of the lingering cold she had been feeling from Gray's outburst earlier. Lucy glanced up towards Natsu's face and was surprised to see his eyes shift between fathomless black and blood red. Was that something that they did when he was angry?

"What the actual fuck Fullbuster! Gods, you are such a bastard. I cannot wait until I get my damn hands on you." Lucy's restraining hand on his bicep was the only reason he seemed to be not ripping Gray a new asshole. Natsu's tail flicked once in irritation then unconsciously wound around Lucy's stomach, placing an unintentional - or intentional, depending on who was asked – claim on his mate for all to see.

Juvia stepped in between Gray and Natsu holding her palm in front of her, a threatening look in her deep blue eyes. "Natsu will not touch a hair on Gray's beautiful head! Juvia will protect him from you with everything she has."

The water mage and Fire Dragon stared each other down for an extended moment before they were interrupted from their glaring contest.

Moka coughed awkwardly into his closed fist, trying to bring this…discussion…back on track. "If it was not Ur, then who brought me this ice?" Lucy had never been so thankful for the Demon leader before and almost kissed him full on the mouth.

This snapped everyone out of their combined embarrassment or fury or confusion. Lyon's dejected voice answered the friendly demon. "We don't know Moka, but we will stay for a while longer until we understand just what is going on around here. Deliora is dangerous, and if someone is trying to release it…you will need all of us to subdue it."

Jura and Erza confer for a while longer before giving their ascent to the plan before Natsu practically demands a new, separate room far away from Gray in a voice that was mostly growls and snarls.

Moka had no chance to stand up against an alpha Dragon Slayer when he felt his mate was in danger and quickly complied.

Lucy gave Erza a look that said that she would explain everything later and tried not to look at Gray as she was still trying to push down her previous blush.

Natsu subdued his Dragon Force long enough for them to stalk towards their new room and out of sight.

Erza pinched the bridge of her nose between two gauntleted fingers, the beginnings of a stress headache beginning between her eyes.

"Look…Erza…I'm sorry about all this and all…but it wasn't really my fault…"

Before Gray could keep speaking, Titania had slammed a single fist into his stomach knocking him out. She flipped the Ice Mage onto her shoulder and beckoned her remaining comrades to follow her up to their rooms. "Juvia, you may stay in Natsu and uh…his mate's old room. Consider this mission a probation period so that we may gauge your magical abilities and compatibility with other mages before bringing you to Fairy Tail. All you must do it protect your friends with everything you have and not take unnecessary risks and all will be well."

Their strange procession wound its way from the ballroom and into the elevators, oblivious to the stares from the other patrons. Most had never seen a woman carry an almost entirely naked unconscious man before, nor had they heard that amount of high pitched squealing.

Moka only hoped that these strange wizards would complete the job quickly and then get the hell off his property.


	30. Two: Drown

All Rights to Hiro Mashima

 **DarkShiningLight** – this is for you. I enjoy Lucy as a badass just as much as you do, even if it isn't cannon.

To everyone else…thank you for the continued support and reviews, they make my days super happy; I just can't help but smile. This is the second to last chapter in Part Two so get ready for some action next time!

BEWARE! THE BUILD UP!

* * *

~ **Part Two: Drown** ~

 _Verb: To submerge or flood an area with liquid; usually water._

* * *

Three days after the finding of Deliora, a certain…equilibrium had been set up. There was round the clock surveillance on the Demon as teams of two surreptitiously staked out the ballroom.

To no one's surprise, the newly arrived water woman had not been placed with either Lyon or Gray. When Juvia was paired with Lyon, he was so distracted by her 'unwavering beauty' that they couldn't have seen an intruder even if they wanted to. When she was paired with Gray, Juvia was suckered to his side, and they wasted valuable time playing a twisted game of hide-and-seek when he managed to shake off her advances.

Natsu and Lucy were partnered together and kept to themselves to no one's surprise. The Star Child was still too embarrassed to even look at the Ice King, and Natsu was simmering in a pool of anger and fury and was liable to light things on fire when Gray was around.

No one wanted to tell him to calm down, least of all Erza, who felt that his reaction was somewhat justified.

Tempers were strained, and only Jura and Titania could keep everyone in line. All mages felt like they were hanging on the edge of something. It was the calm before the storm, but they all wished the hurricane would just hurry up and get there so they could go home.

On that third night, finally, something happened.

It started with flickering lights and those strange voices that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once.

Lucy now understood why she had been requested. It did seem like some type of restless spirit, but after conferring with Crux – who searched for all of ten minutes to let her know that the only spirit that had been missing or acting strangely was still Leo the Lion, which upset Lucy to know that one of the Zodiac was gone – everyone was stumped as to why there was someone chanting somewhere in the building.

She watched Erza at dinner that night, stab her baked potato with a vicious looking steak knife, then proceeds to cut it up into minuscule pieces as if to keep her hands busy from re-quipping swords, as she was prone to do when she was anxious. After the red-head cracked the plate, Lucy gently removed Erza's utensils and tried to soothe her with a calming tone usually only used when approaching a wounded animal. "Erza, calm down, we will solve this puzzle, and everything will be alright. You know that we can do this, we are all strong in our own rights, and we have a Wizard Saint with us."

"I know Lucy. It's just…I feel as if we are missing something, or Moka has left something out. I am certain that there is more to this problem than what we can see. Something will happen, soon. I hope we are prepared for when it does, but I don't like to be blindsided."

With that dreary note, their teams split up for the night once again as Lucy and Natsu continued on to the ballroom to stare at the stationary piece of ice with a demon trapped in the centre, like a bug inside a piece of amber.

Lucy shivered slightly. Sometimes she thought that Deliora's eyes followed her around the room as she paced.

Natsu groaned. ' _Gods, I don't think I can take another night with nothing but watching a hunk of frozen water_.' He wanted to be snuggled up all warm and cozy underneath a mound of blankets with Lucy, but instead, he was sitting against a wall waiting for something to happen. "Luceeeeeeee…I'm so bored! Heeeeeelp…"

She smiled lovingly at her silly Dragon. His hyperactive nature and perpetual burning flames – and perhaps a smidge of ADHD – kept Natsu constantly moving and talking, never sitting still. So, this must be hard for him, day after day. Especially since they somehow got saddled with the night shift and they were too tired to do much when they got back to their room other than pass out on the bed and sleep most of the day away.

"Alright Natsu, I need to conserve most of my strength and magic if something finally happens…but why don't I try one or two of my silver keys?" At his smile and enthusiastic nod, she rifled through her keys, and her eyes landed on one that she had almost forgotten about in all the commotion over the last two weeks.

The Key of the Little Dog, Nikora. Natsu's birthday present to her when she had still been staying in that big empty house on Star Hill with her sisters.

Damn. She needed to talk to her sisters soon; she had been neglecting them in the wake of her newfound love and second family. Lucy pushed all those thoughts to the back of her mind as she pulled off the tiny key, swishing it through the air with a practised hand.

"OPEN! GATE OF THE LITTLE DOG, NIKORA!"

With a small puff of gold smoke, a…something was pulled through its gate and sat shaking on the marble floor. Completely white with an orange pointed nose, Lucy felt it was the farthest thing from a dog she had ever seen.

But it was adorable and looked so happy. And it was a Celestial Spirit, so who was she to judge what their concept of a dog was, for all she knew; dogs here on Earth were the weird ones.

"Luce…why does it look like a snowman?"

Lucy waved off Natsu's concerns and kneeled in front of the trembling figure. "Hello! My name is Lucy, and this is Natsu. What's your name?"

The only sounds that came out of the little white snowman were something that sounded like 'pun pun.' Stumped, Lucy cast a questioning look at her mate who was smiling down at the manifestation of his present.

"Plue, huh? Cool name little guy."

"You can understand him?"

Natsu squinted his eyes at Lucy in thought. "…Yes. You can't?"

"Nope. But that's okay I guess. You'll always be here with me, so I'll be able to make sure Plue is happy. Thank you so much Natsu, he's so adorable!"

The Fire Dragon wrapped his arms around Lucy's torso from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder, he kissed her neck hoping to convey his adoration for her in a single action. "Course Luce. I'm not going anywhere. How's your magic levels?" He loved that he could give Lucy something that she loved, even if it had cost him an arm and a leg to purchase it from that old man.

She checked internally and was surprised to find that 'Plue' didn't use even a fraction of her reserves, the drain was so slow it was almost non-existent. "Fine! I feel like I could keep him out indefinitely, but I wouldn't do that to him. He probably has friends and family that he wants to be with."

So she waved and smiled at the little dog and dismissed him with a final promise to summon him more often. Plue seemed to be a sort of companion and wouldn't be used in the heat of battle. _Maybe_ if she was desperate for a sort of distraction, but that would be a last resort.

Seeing as she had lots of energy left, she decided to summon another silver one. "Which key next Natsu? You pick this time."

Natsu randomly chose another, which she recognised as Lyra of the Lyre Constellation. It was a good choice if she was correct in what she thought would happen. They would definitely have some entertainment to pass the time.

"OPEN! GATE OF THE LYRE, LYRA!"

Out poofed a little girl with a golden harp and a traditional bonnet full of smiles and joy. The two mages, along with the Celestial Spirit, sat for a few hours just listening to the beautiful music that Lyra said came from the hearts of her requesters.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

In the middle of a slow song that seemed to be putting Natsu to sleep, a scraping sound could be heard echoing off the barren walls of the room. It was a blessing Lyra had been singing so softly, and that they had been hidden so well inside the deep shadow of one of the grand pillars that dotted the hall. A previously solid wall opened up in the shape of an oddly small door.

Lucy knew exactly what this was, as she had seen something like this in her own home.

Servant's entrance. Completely inconspicuous unless you knew where to look and built so well it was almost impossible to see from the outside.

In this case, it was probably more along the lines of a workers entrance to remove dishes or discreetly escort patrons out of the room in the case of illness or an alarming situation.

' _Shit! I should have known! We didn't even check the passageways in this building…_ ' Lucy was kicking herself for the oversight.

She slapped a hand over both Lyra and Natsu's mouths to keep them from making a sound. The three of them watched as a single figure darted out from behind the door towards the towering cliff of ice that held Deliora.

Quick as a whip, Lucy removed her hand from Natsu and pulled out his lacrima com from his pocket mouthing to him to 'text' Gray and Erza to come to the ballroom quickly.

Natsu could only shake his head and point at the little symbol for no service, which still made no sense to him at all seeing as it was a magical item made by Warren. The guy was a perfectionist; he wouldn't have made something that would go out of range.

The figure – now doused in a shimmering purple light – started to chant strange words in a strange dialect that sounded suspiciously like a song. The moonlight streaming through the large skylight begins to waver and shimmer with the same lilac hue.

Lyra's eyes widened to the size of saucers. She knew this song, just as she knew all the others in both the Celestial Plain and Earth.

She whispered to the two others, her voice low and feverish in her haste to relay the information as fast as possible. "This is an ancient chant; it gives homage to the moon. When imbued with magic, it collects moonlight into a tangible form. It's called Moon Drip, and it can dissolve any substance. Ice would be no problem for it."

"That isn't just any ice Lyra! That's Iced Shell, a forbidden Ice-Make spell. Gray said it would stay frozen forever."

Lyra shook her head, her bonnet askew. "Any ice will melt, even magical ice. This spell was developed for exactly that purpose. It is dangerous, and if it is taken a step further, the moonlight can be distilled into a liquid form. Not even diamonds stand a chance."

"Shit. We need to get the others! If this person is trying to melt that ice, then everyone is in danger. How the hell do we alert them when we can't even text them!?"

Natsu's eyes roamed around the room and landed on an emergency exit that was a few feet from where they sat on the floor. A smile full of sharp teeth and giddiness lit up his face as he silently rose towards the small red box next to it situated halfway up the wall. ' _Fuck yeah! I have always wanted to do this!_ '

Grasping it in his hand, Natsu pulled the lever, breaking the small piece of glass.

And then, all hell broke loose.

Lucy turned to him as her mate covered his sensitive ears, hissing at the alarms blaring in the room. ' _Well…that's one way to get everyone's attention_.'

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

Erza was woken by a shrieking that sounded suspiciously like a banshee wail, or possibly it was just the fire alarm, but it was still too loud this early in the morning.

Right one cue, Gray – as well as Juvia, they were a package deal now overall – burst through her door with questioning eyes and hastily put on clothes.

"There were no drills scheduled for this early. Something's happening, I can feel it."

Not one to discount her comrade's intuition, nor her own gut which as bubbling with unease, Erza quickly re-quipped into her everyday armour and started to sprint down the hall.

"Gray, Juvia, to the ballroom. Water and ice will make a good combination, try for a unison raid if things get dicey. I will rendezvous with you when I find Jura and his team. Now go!"

They split at the fork in the hallway, Erza towards their friend's suite and Gray and Juvia towards the ballroom.

The last thing they heard before the door to the stairwell closed was a booming snarl that caused the Ice King to – ironically – freeze. "AND NO FIGHTING WITH NATSU!"

"Tch." He could only roll his eyes as his unlikely companion grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the Demon of Destruction.


	31. Two: Water

All Rights to Hiro Mashima

* * *

 **~ Part Two: Water ~**

 _Noun: a colourless, transparent, odourless, tasteless liquid that forms the seas, lakes, rivers, and rain and is the basis of the fluids of living organisms_

* * *

"Oi! Wake up you pervert!"

Gray was roused from his slumber with a heaving snort, shooting straight up in the King sized bed he was laying in.

He immediately knew something was wrong.

For one, this room wasn't his, or really it wasn't the same one that their team was given at the beginning of the mission from the Demon Moka, it was much too opulent and the colour scheme centred around a deep royal purple with golden accents. For another, his team was sitting in dining room chairs around the bed drinking coffee and either watching him warily (Lucy), sighing wearily (Erza), or cackling gleefully (Natsu). Or napping on his feet (Happy).

For another, his head was pounding to the beat of a thousand tribal drums, and he really wanted to ask for the damn room to stop moving until he realised it was him that was swaying precariously in bed.

The last clue that tipped him off about how the situation was…not bad per se but more…disturbing than anything was the fact that he could feel a warm slightly damp body pressed up against under the sheets.

And they were both naked as the day they were born.

This was nothing new. One night stands and casual hookups were common in his life.

Or they were until Lucy had dropped like a falling star out of nowhere and shook up his ideals to one where he only desired one single person and couldn't think about even touching another woman. Which was weird for him.

Maybe he was just growing up.

Gray held his head in his hands and willed his skull to stop splitting at the seams. "What the hell happened!?" His shout whisper was almost too loud, and he cringed at the taste of sour bile in his mouth.

Erza took a dainty sip from her porcelain cup, her expression stormy as she gazed at him. "What do you remember last Gray?"

"Just…hearing the fire alarm…then running...Deliora's cage shattering…then...Natsu punching me? What the fuck?"

Lucy raised a sceptical perfectly shaped brow. "That's it? Nothing in between? How about after the fight?"

' _That's right…the fight we were all sprinting towards. What the hell happened? Why can't I remember?_ ' Gray eyed each of his team in turn and noticed things he hadn't seen before. Lucy's right arm was bandaged, Erza was favouring her ribs, and Natsu had a delightful looking black eye that Gray could only hope he gave to the Flamethrower himself.

He looked underneath the covers – disregarding the naked body beside him for the moment – and assessed the damage. It wasn't so bad, a few wraps on his calm on one side and a bandage over his right eye. He was more bruised than anything and was really surprised that he couldn't feel the bone-deep ache until that point. "What happened? Is everyone alright? Jura's team too? Did I get knocked out?"

Lucy placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and pushed him back onto the bed. Gray was looking distinctly green as he babbled and questioned everything and she would rather not have him throw up on them. She already had to endure on moaning man with motion sickness on a daily basis, she didn't really want to add another person that threatened the integrity of her very adorable shoes.

The funny thing was – Gray noticed hazily – that Natsu didn't go all scary-dragon-protective-mode when Lucy placed her palm against his cool skin. They all knew he was naked (when was he not?) under the covers and were choosing to ignore that fact. But after these last couple of days, Natsu shouldn't even be letting her within an inch of him. It bewildered him, but he was more than thankful at the time because he was in no shape to duke it out with his rival.

Give him an hour, and he would be right as rain and ready to brawl.

Natsu cackled again, the sound sending piercing shards straight into Gray's ears. "Nah you asshole! You got shitfaced."

"What?" Gray hissed. He knew he drank quite a bit on occasion, but he didn't usually get drunk unless it was a challenge from Cana or Bacchus just happened to stop by for a wild time. "How? I would never do that on a mission!"

Erza pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers, the act so familiar to them all that they knew without a doubt that Titania was at the end of her rope. "Gray. After the fight with Deliora, you were…distraught, to say the least. Both you and Lyon were. He went home with his team to deal with the news there, but you decided to drown your misery in hard liquor. We couldn't find you until this morning when I forced one of the hotel staff to tell me what room you were in and then I broke down the door. I'm surprised that you didn't hear that actually. I've looked at the charges for this suite, and you didn't drink that much…that is true. But you didn't realise that because you are a mage, the drinks you were ordering were laced with magic. Apparently, it is a common custom in Demon bars, and this one was no exception."

"Ugh…whatever. So I got drunk. No biggy, I can handle the hangover. I've had worse."

The re-quip mage's scowl led him to believe that it was a big deal, but he didn't understand why.

Lucy leant forward and refilled her cup and then Natsu's with fresh coffee then turned to him. "Just listen to us, Gray. Hopefully, you'll understand why we are concerned after we refresh your memory."

Gray closed his eyes, determined to ignore the still sleeping person at his side – whom no one had mentioned yet – and listened to Lucy's calm voice while trying to stop his stomach contents from escaping his throat. He was stronger than Natsu. He could overcome nausea and kick its ass into submission and _not hurl on Lucy's feet_.

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

 _"_ _We need to get down to the ballroom!" Jura's team – plus Erza and a disgruntled Happy – streaked down the hallways, their footsteps light and quick._

 _Suddenly they came to one of the more crowded corridors that converged on the staircases and were met with a throng of patrons all clamouring to get out of the building. Luckily enough, Jura was a beast, and Erza was used to creating a warpath. So they barreled through the masses._

 _Seeing as they knew that the fire alarm was a false call, they headed for the elevators. Hopefully, they weren't locked down yet._

 _Jura slammed a palm down on the outside sliding doors shaking his head. "Shit. They must have the elevators that go to the ground floor as soon as it goes off. A good security measure, but not helpful to us in this situation."_

 _Erza stepped up and yanked the doors open with surprising strength, her gauntleted hands leaving indents in the metal. "We will have to be inventive then. Let's proceed. Our comrades are waiting."_

 _She jumped into the dark elevator shaft without a moment's hesitation._

* * *

 _"_ _What the hell is going on!? How is that damn ice melting? I couldn't even make a dent in the fucking iceberg, and now some upstart idiot comes in and steals my thunder…dammit!"_

 _Lucy chastised him quietly. "Shut up Natsu…please. You can mope later. Right now we need to fight."_

 _As she turned towards the new enemy-intruder-person, Natsu caught a flash of gold as her favourite (or maybe it was his favourite? Who wouldn't like Lucy in knee-highs?) Star-dress, clutching the golden daggers tightly in her hands._

 _He grinned wolfishly, taking a not so subtle peek at her derriere, as Gray and Juvia came barreling through the door, throwing a massive ice blockade behind them to keep the innocent people out and hopefully contain the soon to be raging Demon of Destruction. "I'm all fired up!"_

 _They disregarded Deliora for the moment, as he was still stuck inside his prison and instead launched themselves at the still shrouded figure. Lucy skirted around, dancing and weaving as the enemy pulled out a strange orb and used it to try and incapacitate them, breaking it apart into tiny daggers of crystal, then pulling it back together and whipping it at their heads._

 _It connected with Natsu's face, who swore and clutched his eye with a hand before bursting into flames a murderous aura floating off of him. "Damn that hurt! I'm gonna roast you alive for that!" Natsu threw himself at the person once again, engaging them in a fierce bout of hand to hand combat._

 _The ball shattered once again into larger pieces, and they all tried to dodge the incoming missiles, but Lucy wasn't quite fast enough and caught a single shard in her right thigh that immediately started to bleed profusely. She knew from experience from when they were in combat with the Demon Flute that trying to fight on an injured leg with something so big was almost suicidal._

 _She needed to give it her all before her leg finally gave out and she was too weak to walk from the blood loss. Lucy grit her teeth. Once again she would be pulling out of the confrontation, leaving her family to fend for themselves without her help. She knew they would be fine…hopefully. But she couldn't help the feeling of uselessness that crept into her bones._

 _She really needed to be trained in combat; this getting hit thing was starting to wear her down._

 _Gray threw ice daggers, Natsu pulled back for a Dragon's Roar, and Lucy hurled one of her shining blades, but each attack passed the intruder by as they dodged expertly. Finally, the mystery person was pushed back into the light from the full moon, and it was revealed as a woman in a skin tight body suit, black heeled knee-high boots and a tribal mask that shielded her face, but left her long dark purple hair flowing freely down her back._

 _Lucy and Natsu converged in the back half of the ballroom away from the flying ice and crystal shards. The Dragon Slayer inspected her wound with careful fingers before quickly ripping off a piece of his black t-shirt, binding the cut tightly. He growled out his displeasure that his bonded was shedding her lifeblood onto the floor. "Damn Luce. That's going to leave a scar. How do you feel?"_

 _She waved off his concern, making an effort into not showing the pain on her face. She was a Fairy Tail wizard, she was strong and resilient, even though all she wanted to do was cringe and whine about the unfairness of it all. "You know I'm fine with scars. I told you last time. And I feel alright, a little dizzy from the blood loss. I just need to see Wendy, and I'll be just fine. I can still walk on it...but I'll be useless in a battle like this."_

 _Her mate only nodded. She appreciated the fact that he didn't tell her that she would be all right and that she was strong and it was only a scratch. In truth, when people said that it was like they thought that she would think herself weak when in reality she was just bummed that she couldn't help out more this time. "Can you tell who that masked woman is?"_

 _Natsu sucked in a quick breath and cringed. "Damn. She smells old. Like…ancient artefact old, and cold."_

 _Lucy's eyes flicked to him while they caught their breath before jumping back into the fray. "What do you mean cold?"_

 _"_ _Like the Ice Prick does. I've never smelt something so musty before, though."_

 _"_ _Huh." Neither understood why she smelled like Gray did so they shoved that information into the back of their minds for later as Jura and Erza slammed their way through the ice wall, pausing for only a second before they too entered the fight. Happy streaked forward and stood guard in front of Lucy, hissing and spitting at the slowly melting Demon popsicle._

 _Natsu gave an approving nod to the little cat. "Good job little buddy. Stay here with Luce, her leg is injured."_

 _Jura created a wall made of rock to replace the one they destroyed and joined his comrades._

 _Lucy loved that Natsu talked to his feline friend like an actual person. It made her heart melt. She had a feeling sometimes that Happy did actually know more than he was letting on. "Don't think I'll let you go back in there without backup Natsu. I'm not out of magic yet."_

 _He gave her a look full of pride and an absurd amount of devotion before he grinned toothily. "Wouldn't dream of it, babe. Who you gonna call out?"_

 _Rifling through her keys for a moment, she brought out one she had only used in an enclosed space before to disastrous results…but the ballroom was huge and so was Deliora, so the extra muscle would help tip the scales to victory if worst came to worst._

 _"_ _OPEN! GATE OF THE GOLDEN BULL, TAURUS!"_

 _The perverted cow gave Lucy a wink and smirk before following Natsu back into the now entirely one-sided fight. Although the mage they were against was holding their own very well against some many different attacks, she was waning in strength and power and Lucy knew she would soon be overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of their comrades._

 _Completely overwhelmed, the intruder was finally caught off guard by one of Lyon's ice Eagles and sent her flying to the floor. Erza was there in a second, pulling off the mask to reveal dark brown eyes, pouty lips and a cruel smile._

 _Lyon and Gray's attacks split apart into a million shards of ice, each tinkling on the marble floor before melting off into nothing._

 _Everyone stood still, no one breathing, not one word was uttered._

 _Until Gray's choked, words could be heard by everyone in the room. "Ultear…"_

 _Lyon seethed by his side. "We thought you were dead!"_

 _The woman – who they now knew as Ultear – smirked sadistically, the expression hideous against her pretty face. "It's so good to see you both again. How are you? I'm so glad you remember your big sister…"_

 _Juvia stood stoically beside Gray's side, ready to offer comfort or a helping hand if needed. But this was not their fight, this was among the three siblings that now stood against each other, glaring and snarling at one another._

 _Lucy now understood why Ultear smelled cold. She was Lyon and Gray's sister. Whether they were related wasn't known at that point. It would seem that she could also use some type of ice magic as well._

 _"Wh-why are you doing this? You're melting the only thing left of Ur! That ice is her body Ultear."_

 _The woman sneered in derision and gestured to the melted ice that dripped onto the floor. "My mother died when she cast that spell to hold this Demon from killing you. You-" Ultear lifted both hands to her sides, palms up, "-are the reason why she is dead. I will never forgive you, dear brothers…" Dark hair swished as she turned towards their frozen comrades._

 _"PARALLEL WORLDS! FLASH FORWARD!"_

 _Hundreds of glowing spheres attacked them from all sides, the impacts leaving deep bruises and scrapes as the crystals all exploded on impact. When the dust cleared, Ultear had disappeared out the way she came – presumably as no one had seen her go – and they were sure that she wouldn't be coming back._

 _"Fuck! Shit! Goddammit, Ultear you get your prissy little ass back here! You hear me you frigid bitch?!"_

 _Gray shouted insults into the air while Lyon sat heavily on the ground, chest heaving. He fainted moments later, and when inspected, Jura found an almost black bruise along the side of his head._

 _"Erza, forgive me, but I think my team and I will retreat to the first aid room. Lyon needs help, and Sherry has a broken arm. We will be of no help from here on out."_

 _Titania gave a small bow of her head, accepting his tactical decision as a good one. They didn't need hurt mages around while they were trying to fight Deliora. "As you wish."_

 _Jura turned to Lucy. "Miss Lucy, will you be coming with us?"_

 _Lucy threw her long blonde hair over her shoulder and grimaced slightly. "No. I will be staying with my comrades here while they fight. I must remain in the vicinity or Taurus, and my Star Dress will be sent back to the Celestial Plane."_

 _The Lamia Scale mages nodded and proceeded to leave, Jura removing the rock wall and then replacing it again when they had gone._

 _The Star Child huffed and took mental stock of her magic reserves. She had enough for another summons, but she didn't know who else to call._

 _But as she watched Jura manipulate the rock by the door, she decided to call on her every trusted Virgo. Before she could even utter the spell to open the Maiden's Gate, Virgo stepped out of a flash of golden sparkles with a quirked eyebrow. "Punishment Princess?"_

 _Lucy smiled wide. "It is Virgo. Get ready. Deliora must be punished."_

 _The feral grin on her spirit's sent shivers down Lucy's spine. She was suddenly infinitely grateful that Virgo was now working with her. "As you wish Princess."_

 _A great roar split the air causing the ground to shake. Lucy watched as spider web fractures started to creep out from underneath the Demon's almost entirely exposed body._

 _"NOW VIRGO! Go help the others!"_

 _Her pink haired spirit sprinted off to assist, only to be sent flying with everyone else by a shockwave filled with the last of the forbidden ice spell. Lucy hunkered down close to the floor to minimise the damage to herself and counted herself lucky. She only received a few scrapes that would heal easily. Natsu and Gray were shielded by Taurus who took the brunt of the attack and was sent back almost immediately to the Celestial Spirit World._

 _Erza was the unlucky one, her trajectory had her flying right over Juvia's head and colliding with one of the marble pillars. Lucy watched as Titania cringed while feeling her side, there was most likely two or three bruised ribs or possibly even broken ones._

 _The red-head immediately re-quipped into her Black Winged Armour to up her attacks, but before she could even move, Gray was yelling out swear words and curses at the Demon. Deliora didn't look quite with it yet as if it was waking up from a long nap and was surprised by his surroundings._

 _Fear overcame the IceKing as he watched the Demon who ripped apart his family finally lock gazes with him. He was stronger this time. He wouldn't let Deliora do the same thing twice._

 _No. He had finally found another family that he loved without reservation, even if they got on his nerves constantly, or were smashing his head in for arguing and fighting, or drank way too much…they were his, and this creature wasn't going to take them from him._

 _He would protect them with his life. Even if he had to give his own life to do so._

 _Gray gathered up all his courage and shot his comrades a quick smile. He crossed his arms in front of him, and a gigantic magic circle spun into existence under his legs. The wind whipped his hair around his forehead._

 _It was now or never._

 _"ICED SHELL!"_

 _Magic power exploded out from around the Ice-make Mage. The voices of his friends and another roar from Deliora was drowned out by the beating of his heart in his ears._

 _This was it. This was the end._

 _Or it would have been if Natsu hadn't up and punched him straight in the face screaming at him for being a fucking twat._

 _"NATSU! I have to do this! I can't let you all die!"_

 _"YOU DON'T DIE FOR YOUR FRIENDS! YOU LIVE FOR THEM!" Those words would haunt him for nights to come until they would sink into his mind and root themselves there for the rest of his life. It was the wisest thing Natsu had ever said._

 _The bastard._

 _Natsu and Gray watched as Deliora stepped forward, readying their attacks as Natsu let his Dragon take control. The pink-haired man clapped a warm hand on Gray's shoulder, a rare show of solidarity and friendship._

 _Gray nodded. There were no words that needed to be spoken. It was time for action._

 _"ICE-MAKE…"_

 _"FIRE DRAGON'S…"_

 _And then the Demon crumbled, breaking apart with a silent scream, its disintegrating body falling to the marble floor with a great crash._

 _One full minute later the mages watched in dumbfounded silence as Deliora shifted away into ash. The Demon of Destruction was finally dead._

 _The question was how? Not one person had attacked it._

 _Gray had an inkling that Ur had sapped the Demon of its life force over all those years of being the container for the beast. But he would need to talk to Makarov to be completely sure._

 _The group left the room in total silence – Natsu piggybacking Lucy – even Juvia was being unusually stoic and made their way to the first aid room. They met up with Jura's group, and Erza relayed all that had happened as she had her ribs bandaged._

 _Lucy's cut was stitched and bound while all their scrapes and bruises disinfected. Funnily enough, Gray's worst injury was the one that Natsu gave him when he was punched in the face._

 _But he didn't complain. Gray decided that he deserved that punch and decided to keep the scar as a reminder of the mistake he almost made._

 _Lyon ambled up to him asking him if he wanted to talk. They disappeared from sight with Juvia trailing behind at a safe distance._

* * *

 **-ooo-**

* * *

"…That was the last time we saw you until this morning."

Gray scrubbed his tired face with the palms of his hands. No wonder he felt like shit. He and Lyon finally found Ultear again only to have her twisted beyond recognition, and then he confronted Deliora and almost sacrificed his life.

He was suddenly so thankful for Natsu right then. But he would never say it…out loud that is.

The body shifted by his side and murmured a little. All he caught was a mumbled 'beloved Gray', but he suddenly knew who was pressed up so intimately to him.

Juvia.

He had slept with the same woman twice. That hadn't happened before. No wonder she wasn't seated around the bed with the others raging about 'her darling Gray sleeping with a love-rival.' He felt marginally better knowing that she wasn't with Lyon, at least.

"Alright…so why do you look like I'm on my deathbed?" He was referring to the women of the room because Natsu just looked…abnormally gleeful.

It was Lucy who chose to speak. Her tone low and cautious. "Uhm…well, Gray…when we demanded to know where you were…we found a couple of…uh… _interesting_ things on the bill…"

He was aware that something bad was coming. Lucy was always articulate and never stumbled around finding her words. She was either so embarrassed or beyond worried.

"Well…it turns out that you rented the Bridal Suite, their most expensive room."

Gray nodded. That sounded annoying at most, but why was she hesitating.

"There was one other charge. Made…"

He finally lost his patients with the Celestial Mage and cracked. "What the hell happened? Just tell me, Lucy!"

Natsu slapped a hand down on his shoulder his smile tinged with madness. "You bought rings stripper! Two of them. From the chapel downstairs that was sandwiched between that one jewellery place and the restaurant with those extreme buffalo wings that we had the first night."

"…what." His whisper was as loud as a shout in their ears, and Lucy flinched.

Erza pulled his left hand out from under the covers and held it up to his face, showing off the golden wedding band that was wrapped around his fourth finger. His eyes were wide, and he couldn't breathe. This wasn't true! This was a fucking dream!

"NO!"

Natsu nodded, having the time of his life watching the icicle wallow in absolute misery. "Oh yes pervert. You got hitched."

"TO WHO!?"

Erza pointed to the lump of blankets that hid Juvia's naked sleeping body next to him. ' _Oh. Well,…that makes sense actually.'_

His shout finally roused Juvia from her slumber, and she turned over and gave Gray a sleepy timid smile that absolutely melted his cold frigid heart just a smidge. "Good morning…husband."

* * *

 **~End Part Two~**


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